


Right Behind You, Baby

by Atombombbabyy



Series: A Match Made In Nuka-World [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Gage dealing with emotions, I'm Bad At Tagging, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Nuka World, Post main quest, Unplanned Pregnancy, smut probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-09-27 10:45:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 70,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10013903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atombombbabyy/pseuds/Atombombbabyy
Summary: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Gage and Olivia have faced all the horrors the Wasteland has to offer, but this is the biggest obstacle they've ever encountered. All he knows is that he needs her, and he'll always be right behind her.Sequel(?) to "If I Didn't Care", I recommend reading that one first, just to understand some references made in this fic.





	1. Boss

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, here we go. I really hope you guys like this, and it doesn't stray too far from what the first installment had to offer. I've had this in my mind for some time as I was writing "If I Didn't Care", and thought it might be good to post as a sequel. If it's not your cup of tea I apologize, and you can just leave off with the first installment and pretend this part doesn't happen. :) Trust me, it's not all gonna be sappy fluff and feelings talk! Plenty of action and adventure await these two!

                He had known that she was gonna be trouble for him from the moment he saw her on the shitty surveillance video that Nisha had hooked up in the Gauntlet. She was fire and determination and stubbornness that he had never seen before, and he knew when he looked into her dove grey eyes for the first time, alight and burning from the adrenaline of killing Colter, he was done for.

                Sure, he had fought it at first, tried to convince himself that she was just some Wasteland nobody who rolled in at the wrong place in the wrong time to cause him nothing but grief and headache, but it hadn’t taken long to wear him down. He remembered the first few nights after bringing her to Fizztop, hoping in the morning something would have changed, that she would get off his mind, that she would be someone different, or even that she would just be gone. But she was always there, like a fucking bad cap, always grating on him, always pushing him, and guiding him to some moral high ground.

                And fuck if he didn’t love it.

                A lot of times, in the small hours of the morning, before she would begin to stir, he would lie awake and think of what he had done to deserve her. He could listen to her soft breathing, the subtle echo of her body with his, and feel completely adjacent to everything, as though he was watching someone else live this life, because he sure as fuck didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve her. He would try to tell her, try to ask her why she was there, choosing him over everything else she could do, everyone else she could be with. She would just smile that small knowing smile that poked at his deepest parts, and shrug.

                _“You’re all I could ever want out here.”_ She would say, and she would mean it. And hearing it made him question everything he’d ever done, everyone he’d ever killed or bribed or cheated. It made him almost wish that he had some belief in a higher power, so that someday he could finally ask someone why. Why was he able to exist at the same time as she did? She had come 200 years from her own time, and somehow ended up with him. And most of the time he couldn’t believe it.

                She was beauty and grace and deadliness rolled into one tiny package and he had been terrified at the thought that she might not be there one morning when he went to get her for the next park clearing endeavor. He thought he had fucked it all up that night after Galactic Zone, when he channeled all his anger and confusion and lust into his cock and lost himself to her. He remembered leaving that night, feeling the heat of her still warming his skin, the taste of her still on his lips and wondering how the fuck he was supposed to keep living if he couldn’t touch her like that again. He remembered the relief that flooded his veins when she had come to find him the next day.

                A year had passed now. They had cleared Nuka-World, turned the power on, set up major trade routes, and kept the peace. They had traversed the Commonwealth (upon her urging), and found more adventure and danger and excitement than he thought he could have on his own. They had scared each other to death, met and fought an insane assortment of creatures and people. They had helped settlements (to his rolled eyes and scoffs), and she had maintained both her positions as General of the Minutemen and Overboss of Nuka-World. He knew that no other person would be able to do it, but she fucking did, and she did it with aplomb.

                She had shown him a world that he knew existed, but had never wanted to be a part of before. She introduced him to her friends, a motley crew that floated in and out of her life, but were still seemingly ever present, ever around, especially in Sanctuary, her home base. They had been wary of him, (understandably), but with not but a few words from her, most of them had accepted him. If that didn’t tell you the absolute fucking presence that Olivia Flynn was, then nothing would.

                The past year had been, without a doubt in his mind, the best year that he had ever lived through in all his 37 (or 38, he honestly couldn’t remember his birthday), years.

                And now he could feel it all slipping through his fingers.

 

 

 

                He had woken up six days ago to the bed empty. It was unusual, but not unheard of when they bunked at Fizztop, which they had decided to do for a while. Olivia liked to flit back and forth between the Commonwealth and Nuka-World, often on whims and this time they had rolled back in and decided to clear out some of the outlying parts of the park. There was a Red Rocket station that they had turned into a small hideout, and there was a junkyard they had been planning to head out to when he woke up to find her gone.

                _“I’ll be back.”_   Was all she wrote and left on a crumpled piece of paper on the pillow next to him. The first day hadn’t been so bad. Sometimes she left, had things to do, people to see, and didn’t want to bother him with the trivialness of the errand, or pull him into something she deemed too “goody-two-shoes” for him. He always laughed at this; he knew she was the one with the moral compass, and the fact she thought she needed to shield him from things that were “too moral” was hilarious to him.

                On the second day he got restless. He went out into Nuka-Town and asked around, seeing if anyone had seen her lately. They had shrugged, told him that they thought if anyone would know where Olivia Flynn was, it was Gage. He tried to play it off, but ever since the incident with Mason, he didn’t like her being gone for so long without word.

                By the fourth day he was almost frantic. He nearly made the call to Sanctuary on the old Ham radio to ask if they had seen her, but he didn’t want to worry them, didn’t want them sending the whole body of the Minutemen out looking for their General, especially if she popped up soon. That would be one thing to irritate her, for fucking sure.

                And now, today, the sixth day she had been gone, he began to wonder if she really was going to come back. He had too much time to think, too much time to build things up in his head that he had never thought of before. What if that head nod had really been a head shake? What if her twitch had really been her pulling away? He was in deep thought, sitting in the dark of the apartment, the crumpled note clutched in his hand. How long would he wait? He kept asking the question over and over, but he knew the answer already; he would wait until he was dead, or he was sure she was never coming back.

                He would have to do something soon. The leaders of the remaining factions, Nisha and Mags and William would start asking questions, start needing things. He could avoid the topic for a while; they did fine when he and Olivia were out traipsing around the Commonwealth, they could deal for a bit longer, but his thoughts kept circling back around; what if she was really gone?

                That question caused his whole body to ache, his mouth to fill with cotton, and his chest to tighten. He had thought about it before, long before, after they cleared all the parks and turned the power back on. There had been nothing to stop her from leaving then, so he often occupied the quiet of his thoughts wondering what he would do if he woke up one day and she just wasn’t there.

                He had never come up with a fucking answer. He couldn’t.

                Of course he couldn’t. And he hated himself for it. He hated himself for letting it get this far, for becoming so entwined with her that he couldn’t imagine walking through this fucking hellscape without her. But he had. And now look where it had gotten him. Alone in the Fizztop apartment, half-drunk with a headache that set his teeth on edge like when he quit smoking all those years ago. Clutching a note from a girl who was his world. Who had been his world. _No._ She still was. It wouldn’t be different until it was different. He gritted his teeth and repeated that, then took another pull from the unlabeled bottle he held.

                He was just wondering how long he would be able to keep it up before he passed out drunk, (At least the rest of this bottle, if not half of one more), when he heard the grating of the lift suddenly spring to life. There was a small jump of excitement in his chest, dulled by the alcohol and tiredness, but he pushed it down, not wanting to get his hopes up. Still, he stood and turned towards the lift, waiting as it crawled its way slowly to the landing.

                And then she was there, heartbreakingly beautiful in the dim light of the lantern that lit the central bar of the apartment. She had stepped off the lift, but stopped upon seeing him, her bag slung on one shoulder and rapidly sliding off. She stared at him, and he at her, and even though he wanted to fling himself at her, to pull her close and drink her scent and feel her body against his he stood rooted to the spot, watching. Her face was set, determined, but with a hint of sadness that wrenched him to the core. He dropped the bottle he was holding, hearing it clatter on the concrete floor, its contents sloshing out.

                “I didn’t think you’d be up here.” She said, her voice clear but small. He felt his brow furrow. It was dark; there were very few sounds from the ground below them.

                “W-where else would I be?” He asked, striving for a mild tone, but hearing it come out with more ire than he wanted. She half shrugged, dropping her bag to the floor all the way, but still not moving.

                “It’s still kinda early; I thought you might be out doing something.” She said, and it was clear to him that she had indeed not expected him up here. Her face was searching his, as though gauging his mood, but she still had that undertone of melancholy that sent a shiver racing through him. He fought to get control of his thoughts, to find something to say.

                “I have something-,” They both started at the same time, and a small smile twitched the corners of her mouth. She started to speak again but he cut her off, not wanting to lose his nerve.

                “I know I’m not good at this shit.” He started, and she cocked a brow at him, and took a breath as though to speak but he spoke again quickly.

                “I know this ain’t what you expected from your life, running with a Raider, being Overboss of a place like this. Getting involved with me. But I need you to know something, before you say anything or make any decision or anything.” He said fiercely. If she wanted to end it, she could, but she would hear how he felt about it first. She listened, but he could see her face falling more.

                “Fuck, Olivia do you know what you’ve done to me? You know I’m shit at talking about all this feelings crap, but I can’t do shit anymore without thinking about you. I didn’t think it was possible for someone like me to get someone like you, not in a million fucking years, but somehow I did. And I guess somewhere I knew I would probably fuck it up. It’s always been too good to be true, I know that. But I can’t just let this go without a fight.” He said, feeling his pulse quicken. Olivia took a half step forward, and then put her foot back again.

                “Gage, I-,”

                “No, listen. I don’t care what I have to do. You want me to go farm carrots and tatos the rest of my life? I will. You want me to fix settlements up and help people? Point me in the fucking direction. I know what I am, who I am, has always weighed on you. But I gotta make you understand, Olivia, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you mine.” He said, and he hated the way it sounded like begging. But he hated the despair he felt every time he thought of her leaving more.

                “Oh, Gage… I wish you had let me talk first.” She said, and he could see that silent tears had begun tracing their way down her face. He wanted to run up to her, to wipe them away, to pull her to him and kiss her so fiercely that she would have bruises.

                “Why?” He managed to ask. His throat was tight, and he cleared it, stepping forward. Olivia looked like she wanted to bolt, like she was ready to jump back on the lift and leave again. He wouldn’t let her.

                “Cause you won’t mean it. You’ll take it back after I tell you… what I have to tell you.” She said, and he could hear the pain in her words. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his pulse a thrumming echo in his ears.

                “What? What do you have to tell me?” He asked, and realized for the first time how pale she was, standing there in the small light. Like a tiny moonbeam, fragile and ethereal. Her eyes darted around the room, before resting on his one good one. She was strong; he could feel that in her gaze. No matter what she had to say, she would tell it straight to him, nothing else.

                “I… I’m pregnant…” She said, and the word was a whisper, so soft he almost didn’t hear it. Almost.

 


	2. Low Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, minor note here for the round about mentions of abortion. Nothing outright or graphic, just letting you know. Enjoy!

                “What?” He asked, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears. He had heard her, however. He knew what she had said.

                “I’m pregnant.” She repeated, and he saw her hold back a sob, forcing her face not to crumple around the weight of what she was telling him. It was suddenly still and quiet, as though his heart had stopped beating and the air had ceased to circulate. His brain was trying to process the words even though he knew the meanings and could theoretically tell what she was saying.

                “That’s why I was gone. I had to find out for sure… before I told you.” She said, and he was surprised to hear she had regained some of her composure. He took a deep breath, and then let it out.

                “For 6 days?” Was all he could say. Her dark brows rose, then furrowed. He could see her swallow hard.

                “I needed to think.” She said softly. He let out a breath, a huff, and regretted it, hoping she had missed it, but he knew she hadn’t. Her face was passive; it was his turn to react. His brain was running overtime, he couldn’t catch a single thought to hang on to, to form into words. For a short moment he thought he might pass out, but quickly fought down that urge. The silence was stretching on, uncomfortably long. She shifted, bent to pick her bag up.

                “I came to tell you. I thought you needed to know before I did… anything… about it.” She said, and the implication of her words slammed him in the chest. “ _Did anything?”_

                Suddenly all he could think of was her alone in some room in Diamond City, crying and bleeding and alone and he couldn’t look at her. He forced himself to look towards her, but his eye couldn’t meet hers, not yet. His whole body was tense, vibrating, shaking. He swallowed.

                “How?” He asked, but he knew how. They were always careful, as careful as you could be without proper contraception in the post-apocalyptic world. But he knew. He remembered. The time some weeks ago before they had decided to come back out to Nuka-World.

                They had cleared an abandoned neighborhood of ghouls. She had been trapped in a bedroom by a glowing one, and after the dust had cleared they had fucked on the first ghoul free surface they could find. They always did, after a scare like that, as though they needed to remind each other they were alive, that they were still there. But he hadn’t been quick enough. She told him it would be alright, spouted some numbers and statistics that he couldn’t really wrap his head around, but it had convinced him. He had totally forgotten about it. Until now.

                “I need to think.” He heard himself say. And her eyes shot open. He could see even in the dim light how bloodshot they were. Then they closed briefly, and she nodded.

                “I’ll go.” She whispered, but he stepped forward.

                “No. Stay here. I’ll go. I’ll… be back soon.” He said, and fumbled around for his armor and his gear bag. She sidled towards the bar, giving him a wide area of clearance to come around her. He could feel the air, electric with tension. He still wanted to touch her, to wipe her tears, to hold her, but he felt that if he touched her, he may burst into a million pieces that even she couldn’t put back together.

                She watched him as he walked up onto the lift, mechanically clamping his armor on around him, then as he pounded the button. He watched her as the lift pulled him down, away from the light, away from her, and into the silence of his own thoughts.

 

 

                For all he was an idiot, an opportunist, and just an all-around shitbag, Gage couldn’t help but wish that Colter was around right now. The man was the worst, Gage remembered that. But he was also the closest thing that he had ever had to a friend in the Wasteland, well, before Olivia. His advice would be shitty, he knew, and from his vantage point right now, drunk in the Marketplace in the dark hours of pre-dawn, he could almost hear the man, his odd accent ringing in his ears.

                “ _My man Gage, knocked some bitch up, huh? Quite the fucking shit pile you find yourself in now! Just leave, tell her to get lost, get rid of it, whatever. You don’t need that fucking shit in your life, mate.”_

                He waved a hand at the air, as though this would displace the auditory hallucination he was having. The man at the bar, a trader who specialized in booze and chems, mistook his wave for a call for more drink. Gage took the proffered glass gratefully and downed it. It didn’t make the voice go away, however.

                “ _You’ve fucked your own life up enough as it is, Gage. What the fuck would you do with a brat?”_

                “Shut up.” Gage growled, and realized belatedly he said it out loud. The bartender eyed him, then the empty glass, and shrugged, turning back to his work of restocking the shelves. Gage rubbed at his eyes, wishing that he could just turn everything off. He wanted the world to stop, so he could think without anything moving forward. He needed his mind to focus, but that was far from an option at this point.

                _“She’ll probably die anyways. And then you’ll really be alone. C’mon mate, you know how this goes. This is what you’ve been avoiding your entire fucking life.”_

                Colter’s voice echoed in his ears once more and made the blood boil in his veins. He stood and hurled the glass he held at the wall, satisfied to hear the shatter and clinking bits hit the ground. The satisfaction was short lived as the bartender whirled to him, staring. Gage clenched his shaking fists, urging calm to come over him.

                “Sorry.” He muttered, and digging in his bag pulled out a jingling bag of caps and dumped it onto the bar, before spinning on his heel and heading out the door.


	3. More Than Words Can Say

 

                He passed the next few days in a drunken fugue, knowing that it wasn’t solving anything, but unable to do anything else. Between violent outbursts and the excessive amounts he was imbibing, he was rapidly running out of places to drink, which was how he found himself in the Parlor. The Operators usually didn’t mind him stopping in, and the Blacks kept a nice stock of decent booze available.

                The Parlor was dark, as usual, and fairly empty. This was also usual, as it was early afternoon, and most of the Operators were out on their rounds or on jobs. A radio playing some of Red-Eye’s greatest hits was on in a back room somewhere, and the soft tones of an out of tune guitar floated through his dazed thoughts.

                Was this all he was gonna do? Drink and avoid thinking about it, about her? For how long? He kept asking himself the same questions, getting distracted by the alcohol that seemed to keep him held together, but also kept tearing him back down. In the short times he was close to soberness (like right now); he could force himself to think rationally. She was waiting for him, waiting for…what? A decision? An order? Waiting to see if he would even come back?

                He kept playing this game of cat and mouse with himself, every time his mind would force the issue to the front. _Pregnant_. He would hear the echo of her voice say. And every time he would hear the shattering of his world again. There were too many thoughts, too many things to think about all at once. He tried making lists, pros and cons, but found himself with a never ending list of cons and only one pro. Her.

                He ran his calloused hand over his face for the dozenth time that day, feeling the tired lines etched there as though set in marble. He took another swig from the bottle he held and slumped bodily against the table, making another one of his lists, another one that ended with just one thing on the positive side. The thought of her. He was tallying it up when someone pulled the chair noisily out beside him, causing him to jump. It was William Black. The slender man sat beside him, watching with an air of amused interest.

                “Trouble in paradise, Gage?” The cultured voice asked, and Gage immediately fought back the urge to hit the man. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter in the chair.

                “What do you want, Black?” Gage grumbled, focusing his good eye. William looked him up and down, crossing his arms over his chest.

                “Seen the Boss around lately?” He asked. Gage eyed him, and then swung his gaze back to the bottle in his hand.

                “She’s around. Why?” Gage asked. William made the barest movement of a shrug, then leaned forward and took the bottle out of Gage’s hand, pouring himself a shot into a glass nearby. He gulped the drink down quickly, and pushed the bottle back towards Gage.

                “You look like shit, my friend.” William said, his voice both haughty and curious. Gage felt his fist clench and he turned more fully towards the man.

                “Well I’m sorry I didn’t spend an hour preening in the goddamned mirror this morning like all you Operator sons of bitches. Now, I’ll ask again, Black, what the fuck do you want?” Gage said, his voice dangerous. William made no move, just kept Gage’s eye, still interested.

                “Mags spotted a group of Raiders this morning while she was up in the Ferris wheel at Kiddie Kingdom. Not Nuka-World Raiders. Scouting from the east. Just a small party it looked like, but she thought the Boss would still want to know.” He said, evidently deciding to end whatever game he had been playing. This caught Gage’s attention. Nuka-World was relatively out of the way, you really had to trek to get out here, especially if you bypassed the transit station. William was already rising to leave, giving Gage no time to glean any more information.

                “Don’t worry too much about her, Gage. You’ll find another girl out there for you.” He heard William say, and the taunt in his voice was so evident that it made the heat rise in his cheeks. He turned to make a very rude gesture at William, but he was already gone.

                Now he really had to make a decision. He doubted that the Raiders that Mags had seen were anything to worry about, but something about it didn’t sit right with him. He needed to go, to tell Olivia about it, to figure out what she wanted to do, but in order to do that, he would have to see her, to come to terms with everything.

                He steeled himself and stood, the last remainder of his buzz ebbing as he turned to leave the Parlor. He still wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to say to her, but it had been long enough. He hoped that the words would come when he saw her face once more. She had a way of doing that to him, of making the parts of his brain that sometimes got jumbled up come in clear. This though… this was gonna take a lot of clearing up.

 

 

                She was sitting in the chairs that looked out over the park, the ones they had been in when he first poured his heart out to her all that time ago. She had one of her legs pulled up under her, and she was staring out over the horizon, just watching. She had glanced towards him briefly, but quickly readjusted her gaze back out as he stepped off the lift. He only took a couple steps, coming to stand still near the bar, just watching her. She had cut her hair again, shaved on the sides and the back, with a little length at the top. She had told him it was a practical cut, which was why she kept it that way. He almost smiled at the memory.

                She was pale, but her face was set. She looked as though she may have even gotten some sleep. For a moment as the lift was rising he was afraid he would lose his nerve, that he would turn right back around and send the thing back down, back to find more uncomfortable relief in a bottle, but now that he saw her, a perfect statue in the crisp fall air, he knew he couldn’t leave again. Not unless she told him to. He was still watching her when she spoke, so softly that he couldn’t make out what she had said.

                “What?” He asked, and his voice sounded embarrassingly loud in the still around them. She cleared her throat, but didn’t look at him.

                “I said, I know this isn’t what you want, Gage.” She said, her voice wavering only a little.

                “I know who you are, where you came from. And I know that this is the last thing you would ever want. Honestly I shouldn’t have come back to tell you, I just should have… Well… I was just worried that I would die and you wouldn’t know what happened to me and think that I left and I couldn’t let you think that because I wouldn’t just leave.” She said, her words tumbling out quickly as though she had rehearsed them because _of course she would have rehearsed them you fucking idiot you left her up here for four days by herself with nothing but her thoughts and your fucking kid_.

                “And I get it; I do, because this is bad. I know it’s bad. This, a baby, it’s a bad idea out here. I know all the reasons and I get it but I still needed to tell you because… I don’t know. Because it was the right thing to do.” She continued, and he found himself wanting to say something, anything, to make her stop talking because all of these words, everything she was saying was hitting him square in the chest and making him feel like he had gone three rounds with an angry Yao Guai.

_“_ I just want you to know that I’ll do anything to keep you Gage. Just say the word.” She finished, and it was so quiet he had to strain to hear it. He hadn’t known what to expect, hadn’t thought she would say much of anything, let alone all she had just said.

                “I’ve got a question.” He said, thinking of the question he kept asking himself over and over the past few days. She cocked a brow at him. She obviously hadn’t expected him to say much.

                “Y-yeah? Anything.” She said, and she turned slightly towards him in the chair. He made a half-step forward, but stopped himself from going more.

                “What would you do if I wasn’t in the picture?” He asked, and almost regretted it as her expression darkened. She turned her gaze back over the horizon.

                “That isn’t the question here, Gage.” She whispered. He nodded and coughed.

                “Yeah, yeah whatever but I wanna know. What would you do right now if I was dead, or missing, or just… left?” He said, almost leaving out the last part. She blinked and he could see her throat bob as she swallowed hard.

                “But you are here. That’s not the problem we’re dealing with right-,” She started.

                “I don’t care. I’m asking you. What would you do?” He questioned forcefully. She shrugged, that half shrug she did when she was unsure of something, like she was adjusting her shirt.

                “I… I don’t know. I’d probably let someone take over here, a new Overboss. Then I’d go to Sanctuary. Settle down there.” She answered finally. Gage felt his heart hammering in his chest, slamming against his ribs. He reached down and unclamped the sides of his armor, suddenly feeling very constricted. He pulled it over his head and let it fall to the floor beside him, forgotten.

                “So you’d keep it.” He said, though he knew that was what she meant. She nodded, her eye flitting towards him, then away.

                “But I know that’s not what you want, so I-,”

                “But it is.” He felt himself say, and felt the familiar feeling that he got when he was around her. The comforting feeling that he knew himself, knew that all the fucked up shit in his head was gonna make sense. Her head had spun towards him so quickly at this that it almost made him laugh. Her face was hard, as though judging if he was serious or not. He could see her fists clenched by her sides.

                “I…I can’t explain it, Olivia. I feel the same way that you do. I know this is a shit thing to happen, a really, really fucking bad idea. I can’t tell you how many pros and cons lists I’ve made over the last few days, weighing out everything, and they all come up with the cons side a mile long, and only one thing on the pro side.” He said, and she let a small questioning look slide onto her face. He took a step towards her again, not of his own will, but as though the force of her was pulling him to her.

                “I would be sitting there, drinking, trying to convince myself that this was a bad dream, or that I was on some fucked up chem trip or something, and I would find myself thinking about…it. About what it would look like. About who it would be.” He said, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and vulnerable, laying all this out. He really sucked at the whole feelings thing. He thought back, remembering the first night after she had told him, the stupor he drank himself into, and the visions of her and his kid that he just couldn’t shake, no matter how drunk he was.

                “I can’t tell you why. I can’t explain it. I’ve tried to avoid this exact thing happening my whole life, because I know what it’s like out there. I know how hard it is. I know what the Wasteland does to people, Olivia. But for the fucking life of me I can’t bring myself to not want it.” He said, clearing his throat, which had chosen now to tighten up.

                “But I have to know that this is what you really want.  Cause I won’t do that to you.” He said, and looked at her. She was standing now, poised as though to go to him, but she had stopped moving as he spoke.

                “Do what?” She asked softly. Gage felt his mouth tighten. He hated bringing her past life up, and for the most part they avoided it. He knew the pain it caused her to think about, the dreams she still had on occasion. He set his jaw firmly and went on.

                “A long time ago, when you told me about your husband and… Shaun-,” He started, gauging her expression, “-You told me how it happened and… well I won’t do that to you. I won’t make you have a kid that you didn’t choose to have.” He said, immediately feeling like the biggest fucking asshole on the planet. Her face gave no hint of what she was thinking, making him nervous. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

                “I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it, just because you think it’s what I want.” He said finally. Her mouth twitched, and she took a small step forward again. They were still at arm’s length from each other, but he swore he could feel her, her warmth, the vibration of her body thrumming so close to him. Closer than they had been to each other in too long.

                It was very quiet. The sun was beginning to sink below the hills in the west, casting everything in a brilliant red shadow. Her face was alight with it, catching every ray that it could before the chill of the night came. He knew she was thinking, he could see the gears working behind those grey eyes, calculating and reevaluating, making decisions and choices on a scale that he had just never quite been able to work on.

                “Some things are probably gonna change.” She said after what seemed like an eternity. He had to blink and focus to figure out what she had just said, but as he processed it, he felt the strangest sensation bubble up inside him: he felt relief.

                “Just as long as you don’t expect me to marry you.” He said, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch up. He saw her mouth curl as well and had to stop himself from grinning like a lunatic.

                “I’d expect nothing of the kind from you, Gage.” She said, in a mocking tone, and then flashed her brilliant Pre-War teeth at him. The tension in the room had almost completely dissipated, but they still stood a few steps apart, watching one another.

                “Now what?” She asked, her hands fiddling with a button on her over shirt. Gage shrugged.

                “Well, right now I’d really like to kiss you, if that’s alright with you?” He asked, almost feeling silly at asking. She smiled and stepped forward towards him. He grasped the hand she stretched out and pulled her into him, and it was like being set on fire. He all but slammed his lips into hers; reveling in the heat of her, in the feeling that she gave him, the feeling of need, of want, of absolute rightness. His hands cradled her head and he felt her arms wrap around him, and he knew, somehow, that this was the right thing to do.


	4. Here You Come Again

                He woke the next morning from the best sleep he had gotten in a long time to the sounds of her moving around the room. He cracked his good eye and found her getting dressed, pulling a baseball shirt on before beginning to gather up her leather armor pieces. He stretched languidly and pushed himself up on one elbow, watching her.

                “What are you doing?” He asked, seeing her start to rifle through her gear bag. She looked up at him and smiled, then looked back at what she was doing.

                “Waiting for you to wake up. We have shit to do.” She said. He raised his brow at her, but she wasn’t paying attention.

                “What do you mean “We have shit to do.”? What shit?” He asked, swinging his legs out from the bed. She was pulling weapons out and checking them, as she often did before they went out into the Wasteland. She didn’t stop as he approached her, and he stood, still watching her slender fingers check and recheck magazines before replacing them.

                “Well I thought we were supposed to go check out that junk yard. And I’m sure Mags or Nisha have something for us to do, I’ve been gone for the better part of two weeks.” She said, matter-of-factly. Gage reached out and grabbed her arm, making her swing her gaze up to him.

                “What? You think things are just gonna stop because of this?” She said, her eyes flitting downwards momentarily. She pulled her arm away and continued what she was doing.

                “Things aren’t just gonna change that fast. I’m still the same person, I still have people to protect, a park to run, shit to do.” She said, not looking at him. He ran a hand over his face, dissipating the last remainder of sleep, and stepped closer to her.

                “I know that I just… I dunno. I’m not sure what I thought I guess.” He said, watching as she stopped going through the bag and turned to him. Her eyes met his, watching him for a moment before turning back to the bag.

                “I’ll let you know when things need to really change, Gage. Don’t worry too much, okay? You’ll drive us both crazy. Hand me that, would you?” She said, pointing to her first aid kit that was sitting on the table next to them. He picked it up, feeling the lightness of it and handed it to her. She felt it too, and shook it disapprovingly.

                “Have to resupply before heading out.” She murmured to herself. Gage took a breath and began searching for his own clothes and armor, still watching her out of the corner of his eye. It was quiet for a while before she spoke again.

                “Do you wanna know anything about it?” She asked as he was pulling on his boots. He stopped and looked at her. She was still packing her bag, back turned to him.

                “Know what?” He asked warily. He could see her shoulders shake with a suppressed laugh.

                “I dunno, like when it’s supposed to be born or anything like that?” She said, slightly turning to him so he could see her in profile. She was fiddling with something in her small hands. He cleared his throat, not knowing really what to say.

                “Uh… sure?” He said, finishing the laces and feeling his heart begin to race. Why was he so fucking nervous about it?

                “Well, they couldn’t tell me much except that it seems to be the right size. And that it should be born sometime in May.” She said quietly, dropping the object (which he could now see was a spare pistol magazine) into the pack. He watched her for a moment before standing.

                “That’s…good.” He said awkwardly. She let out the breath of a laugh as she cinched the pack up and slung it over her shoulder.

                “Yeah. So anyways. Let’s head out to this junkyard, yeah?” She said, her voice clear in the morning air. He shook himself, then remembered William’s message.

                “Actually, Mags saw something the other day I think we should check out first.” He said, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to him, her dark brow cocked.

                “She was up in the Ferris Wheel, doing some scouting and saw a small Raider party up in the back pass. Not Nuka-World Raiders.” He explained. Her face turned hard.

                “And you didn’t think to tell me before now?” She said. Gage straightened, carefully keeping his face passive.

                “We were a little occupied, don’t you think?” He answered quietly.

                “You could have told me last night, after we cleared everything up. Hell, you could have told me this whole time we’ve been standing here. Don’t you think this is something we should move on?” She said, and he could hear the ire in her voice rising.

                “Well I’ve told you now. It’s probably nothing anyways, Olivia, just some fuckers that got too big for their britches coming to scope the place out. One look at this place and they probably turned tail.” He said, striving for a mild tone. Olivia turned and headed towards the lift, pounding the button so he had to sprint the last few steps to catch it.

                “Still should have told me.” She muttered as they descended. Gage wisely decided to let her have this one. He had a feeling there were going to be larger battles he would need to fight coming very soon.

 

                                                                                                                  

 

                The back pass was to the east, near an old overpass. It wasn’t truly towards the back of the park, but it was the only other way into the park besides the transit station. The rest of Nuka-World was conveniently surrounded by mountainous terrain, solidifying its position as a very well defensible stronghold. With only two ways in or out, there were few who would attempt to get into the park unknown, or at least, that had been the idea. Olivia hadn’t left the pass undefended, once she had cleared the parks, Gage had brought her up to survey the area and set up defenses, just in case. He remembered it well, watching her tinker with the turrets that she was so adept at assembling. It had only helped solidify his plan to follow her wherever she went.

                Today they found the turrets had been destroyed, not shot or exploded, but rather dismantled piece by piece. He watched Olivia as she circled the machines for the third time, her hand running over the shaved back of her head in disbelief. The hike out to the pass had calmed her down, but upon seeing her handiwork so casually taken apart she had begun silently fuming again.

                “Mags said she took a couple shots at them, but didn’t think she hit anything.” Gage said, turning to look at Kiddie Kingdom and the Ferris Wheel, which was just barely visible in the afternoon light. They had found the Raider in the Marketplace as they were restocking and she had told them what she saw, which wasn’t much. Gage turned his view back to Olivia, who was crouched over a turret, her fingers picking through pieces of metal.

                “They’ve taken the motion detectors out of them.” She said, standing and spinning her gaze around the area slowly, as though she may be able to still see the perpetrators. Gage watched her, half his mind on the issue at hand, half his mind still stuck on the fact that she was walking around carrying his kid. He shook himself and tried to refocus on what she was saying.

                “Why would they do that?” He asked, stepping towards one of the disassembled turrets and toeing the metal with his boot. Olivia placed her hands on her hips, face serious, the way it got when she was thinking.

                “I dunno. Maybe to come back later and scavenge the rest for parts? Maybe they thought they could sneak back in later? I don’t know why they would take them apart so… precisely, though.” She said, letting her arms fall back to her sides. Gage watched her as she started up the pass, her eyes focused on the ground, as though following their tracks. Gage had pointed the tracks out to her as they came up, discerning that there had been four of them up here, and that they had left in a hurry. He could hear her muttering to herself.

                 He turned again to look out over the park. Even in the day he could see the bright shimmer of the neon lights in the distance. He thought back to the day they had restored power to the park, how for a moment he thought he was going to get a bullet in the head from Skinner, and then the next moment,  had thought Mags was going to give one to Olivia. They hadn’t talked about that day too much, but they hadn’t needed too; it had been the last time either of them had any doubts about their partnership.

                “Gage!” Olivia’s voice broke through the fog of memory that clouded his mind and he turned quickly, hand on the butt of his rifle.

                “What, what is it?” He asked, his good eye scanning the area. She looked skeptically at him, and he realized she had been trying to get his attention for a while. She was holding something in her hands.

                “What do you think this means?” She said, holding out what he now could see was a piece of leather armor. He took it from her, his fingers brushing hers in brief contact that made his heart shudder, just like any time he touched her. He turned the piece over in his hands, noting that it appeared that Mags had indeed hit something with her shots, as he ran his finger over the burnt edge of a bullet hole near the strap. It was likely what caused the piece to fall off.

                “I dunno, just looks like a bit of armor from some unlucky fucker that caught one of Mag’s bullets.” He said, holding it out back to Olivia. She pushed it back and flipped it, pointing to something carved deep in the leather. He didn’t know how he had missed it, probably just too distracted by everything that was on his mind, but now he held it up so it caught the light.

                “Jesus fuck.” He said under his breath as he saw the two crossed scythes emblazoned in the armor, and he could swear his heart stopped beating.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really glad you all are enjoying where it's going so far! I love writing Gage and Olivia's story! I hope you all like this chapter!


	5. Somebody, Somewhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a shorty, but there will be another one super soon. Sorry for the odd updating hours and days, but that's what happens when you work a swing shift and only have Sundays and Mondays off!

               “You’re sure, Gage? Maybe look at it again?” Olivia was saying, but Gage was only half listening. He was pacing back and forth across the concrete floor of the Fizztop apartment, unable to sit still, unable to think straight. He shook his head in disagreement and disbelief for the hundredth time.

                “No. That’s it. It’s him, or his crew at least. I’d know it anywhere.” He said, stopping at the bar and grabbing the nearest bottle. He unscrewed the top and took a long pull, forgoing a glass.

                “Connor. The Harvester? This is his symbol?” She asked again, holding up the leather armor piece. Gage swallowed hard, willing himself not to take his emotions out on her. He clenched his fists and rubbed them against his thighs, trying to feel something, anything, other than the rage and confusion he felt now.

                “Yeah. That’s his. I’d know it anywhere, Boss. The fucker is the reason I ain’t got an eye, for fuck’s sake.” He growled, grabbing the armor piece and chucking it across the room. It landed in the corner with a soft thud.

                “It’s been, what, 20 years? Are you sure he’s still alive? Couldn’t it be someone else? Another crew with the same symbol?” She asked, tactfully choosing to ignore his anger. He breathed in harshly through his nose, the cool of the rapidly darkening night stinging his throat.

                “Look, I guess it could be, but it’s an odd coincidence that I ain’t seen him for this long and now we find that when the park is doing so well and I finally got a good thing going. Not to mention the one place we find his symbol is the one place I happen to be.” He said, throwing a hand up to gesture at the park. Olivia’s face was dark with thought, hands idly running over the edge of the armchair she sat in.

                “Why now? The park’s been running for more than a year, why choose now to come? And if it is him, what does he want?” She asked, almost more to herself than to him. He grunted in response.

                “Fuck if I know. Maybe wants a piece of the park. Maybe thinks that he can trade with us, or join up, or something. He was never all that smart, but he did know how to make a cap.” He said, finally coming to sit in the adjacent chair to Olivia’s. She reached out, touching his arm gently with her fingers. They were warm, even against his heated skin.

                “So tomorrow we go back up there, set up more defenses. Post sentries. Then maybe we head into the Commonwealth. We can hit up Sanctuary, see if Preston has seen or heard of any new Raider gangs around.” She said, her light grey eyes meeting his. He let a half smile come to his face as he nodded. She was always practical, always thinking a step ahead.

                “Who knows, maybe he took one look at this place and decided the risk was too high and fucked off back to wherever he came from.” She said, though her voice held doubt that he could hear. He shrugged, and then placed a hand over the one that still rested on his arm.

                “Maybe. But knowing Connor, I really doubt it.” He said. She stood, pulling her hand from his, and then walked in front of him. She sat on his knee, pulling her legs up and resting her body against his, her head finding the hollow at his collarbone. He snaked a hand around her waist and held her close, his heart speeding up at the closeness of her. He could smell her, sweaty and sweet from the day’s events, but always with that hint of something he couldn’t place, the something he had decided was the smell of Pre-War, the smell of someone that radiation had not been allowed to mold.

                “Well, no matter what we’ll handle it.” She said, her voice soft and tired. He could feel the weight of exhaustion on her small frame, and pulled her closer, letting his hand trace circles on her arm. It was times like these, in the still of the night after a long day, when he held her and could feel her breathing, could feel her heart beating that he often had to close his eyes and mentally pinch himself. It had been over a year that he had known her, that they had traveled together, that they had been together, and yet sometimes he couldn’t believe it. Somewhere he knew that karma must be bullshit, because there was no fucking way he deserved this, deserved her.

                “Gage?” She said, startling him slightly. He thought she had fallen asleep.

                “Yeah Boss?” He said, calling her by the only pet name he had ever given her. She shifted slightly, burying her face into his shoulder so he had to strain to hear her next words.

                “I’m happy.” She said, and an involuntary smile came to his face, despite all the thoughts racing through his mind.

                “Me too Boss.” He replied, and realized suddenly that, even despite all this, he truly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! Who would have seen this coming??? Not Gage, that's for sure.


	6. Always On My Mind

                Gage had never really gotten the hang of Sanctuary. Probably because of who he was; no matter how many times they visited the settlement, or how many other settlements he helped with Olivia, her friends always looked at him with open distrust. Not that he blamed them, no matter who Olivia was, or how much she had helped them, she was still bringing a Raider around and telling them not to worry, that he was there to help them. He probably wouldn’t have trusted himself either. They had accepted him as part of Olivia’s life, but he knew they would probably never trust him.

                This visit would be no different, he thought as they passed in front of the old Red Rocket station that sat just outside of Sanctuary. Olivia had turned it into a small workshop, a place she could go for privacy, away from all the needs and wants of everyone that she helped. They had mostly stayed there in their first visits together after coming back from Nuka-World. She had needed time to smooth things over with Preston Garvey, the Minuteman who had been one of her first friends in the Commonwealth, as well as the one that she had corresponded with while he had “persuaded” her to help him clear out the parks.

                Over time, they had begun staying in the small shack she had built for herself in the settlement. It was on the edge of the encampment, at the end of an old cul-de-sac, fairly out of the way of the main parts of the place. He remembered her showing it to him for the first time; it was full of bits and bobs from her travels, old bobble heads, bits of armor, Pre-War things (that he had quickly learned not to call junk, after being on the losing end of a couple well placed punches), and various other Commonwealth memorabilia that made the small space seem even smaller. He had loved seeing it though, feeling as though he was getting a glimpse of a side of Olivia that few ever got to see.

                She stopped walking as they passed the station and turned to him, her eyes moving from him to the nearby bridge that led into the settlement. He watched her, knowing already what was coming.

                “I think maybe I should go in alone.” She said quickly, like ripping off a strip of duct tape. He nodded slowly, waiting for the rest of her explanation.

                “I just think that asking for information about a Raider gang with a Raider standing next to me… might not go over so well. You know how Preston feels about you…” She said, with as much tact as she could muster. Gage swallowed his first response to that, how Garvey could go fuck himself for all he cared, and instead settled for something less inflammatory.

                “Yeah, I know how he feels. I guess I’ll wait here for you then.” He said, turning into the lot of the station and heading for the garage. She caught him by the arm before he got very far.

                “Gage, please don’t be mad. You know I hate doing this kinda thing.” She said, her eyes downcast. He reached out and playfully tapped her chin with his knuckle.

                “Boss, I ain’t mad. Least not at you. Go do your thing. Just be careful.” He said as he always did when they were going to be apart. She met his eye and smiled, making his heart skip a beat.

                “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” She said, and with a quick peck she was off.

 

                Gage waited, semi patiently, as night crept into the garage. He had lit the small lantern that she kept by the mattress on the floor, watching as the dim light threw long shadows over the assorted odds and ends she had accumulated. He was sitting on the mattress, back leaned against the wall, staring out at the bit of the road he could see. There were small lights visible from Sanctuary; spotlights that lit up the bridge for security reasons, and he was keeping an eye out to see when she would come back.

                He really didn’t want to be in Sanctuary longer than necessary. It made him slightly uneasy, being somewhere where everyone looked at him like a ticking bomb, like he would just start ransacking and raping right then and there. Though, he supposed, Olivia had probably felt fairly similar her first few nights in Nuka-World, and, to be fair, the settlers here really didn’t have varied opinions on Raiders. Their full spectrum of thought on them was that they were the bad guys, and if he looked at it from the other side, he supposed he could see why they treated him the way they did.

                But he was with Olivia, and they knew that. There should be no doubt that he wasn’t there to hurt them if she was with him, right?

                He knew that line of thinking was wrong, however. Somewhere inside he always knew it. He was a Raider, and no one, not even Olivia herself, would let him forget that. It was a choice he had made, however, and one he had to live with every day. But if he was honest with himself, he probably wouldn’t have changed anything. Although, he thought as he rummaged through his bag, looking for something to drink, life would probably be a hell of a lot easier if he was just some Wasteland fucker.

                But then he wouldn’t have her.

                He thought about Garvey, how when she had first come back from Nuka-World and explained everything to him, he had almost lost it on her. He remembered Oliva’s tears after she came back to the Red Rocket, crying because “ _why couldn’t they just understand?”_ She had kept going back, kept reassuring and reiterating the fact that everyone was better off with her as Overboss, that she could keep the Raiders from causing too much damage to Garvey’s precious settlements, and eventually he had tenuously agreed. Then she had dropped the bomb about Gage.

                The entire settlement had either ignored or outright rejected her running with him at first. He saw the fear in the eyes of the settlers they went to help when they saw him with her. She had insisted he keep coming though, not allowing him to stay behind somewhere. She was adamant about her choices; people would accept it, or they wouldn’t, that was their choice.

                Still, he saw how it weighed on her, the constant reassuring, and the forced interactions. Eventually, after quite a few months of this, Nick Valentine, the synth detective who spent most of his time in Diamond City, came around. He was the first person from Olivia’s “Pre-Nuka World” life to accept him. They had actual conversations, Nick took time to get to know him, and to listen to Olivia’s story about what had happened, truly happened, at Nuka-World. Gage didn’t know whether it was because Nick was a synth, and therefore used to being judged and shunned before anyone got to know him, or just because he trusted Olivia’s judgement that made him treat Gage the way he did, but he didn’t mind. With Nick on his side, more of the other settlers had slowly started to warm up to him. It wasn’t much, but it was progress.

                All except Preston and the mercenary MacCready.

                Gage didn’t know the deal with MacCready, but his best bet was that the kid had some kinda crush on Olivia from when she had helped him with some trouble he was in with some Gunners, and then again later with helping his sick kid. The merc watched him like a hawk when he was in Sanctuary with Olivia, never taking his eyes off them, and only speaking to Olivia. It was the way he spoke to her, and the way his body language changed when she got near him that made him suspect he had feelings, however. Olivia denied it, but he had a feeling she did so just out of respect for him.

                He stretched and got to his feet, trying to shake his thoughts clear. He was beginning to get antsy. It had been at least three hours since she left, and he was trying not to panic. _She’s safe. She’s in Sanctuary. No one will hurt her there._ He kept repeating to himself. He allowed himself to walk to the edge of the lot, feeling the cool of the air on his skin and wondering if they’d stay here tonight, and if he should start a cooking fire or not. Then he saw her figure, striding over the broken down bridge. He quickly went to meet her, eager to hear what information she had gathered.

“What took you so long?” He asked, and then immediately regretted it as her face came into view, lit slightly by the security lights off the bridge. He could see her face was red from the chilled air, and maybe from crying? Her eyes were focused on the ground, but flitted back and forth to his face as he caught her arm in his hand. She sniffed, running a hand under her nose and cleared her throat before looking fully to him, a forced smile on her face.

                “Preston says he hasn’t heard anything, but he’s gonna try to contact the Castle and see if there’s any news of any new Raiders moving into the Commonwealth.” She said, pulling him along towards the old gas station. He followed beside her, trying to will his heart to slow down.

                “Boss, what happened?” He asked as they reached the garage. She kicked her boots off and sat on the mattress, pulling her knees up under her chin. Her eyes were focused on the wall in front of her, and he could tell she was trying very hard to keep herself together. He crossed the room and pressed the button to close the door, listening to the grinding of 200 year old metal. When it was finally quiet again he turned back to her.

                “Nothing, it’s… nothing.” She said, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her throat again, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. It made his own throat tighten.

                “Did you tell them? About…” He asked, trailing off with a vague gesture at her stomach. Her eyes suddenly met his, sharp and serious.

                “No. I didn’t. They already don’t trust me; you think I’d tell them that now, of all times? When they’re still getting used to you coming around?” She said, her voice wavering only a bit. He came in front of her, kneeling on the cold concrete.

                “What do you mean they don’t trust you? I’ve been running with you for a year now, they should be-,” He started, but her sudden explosion of movement from the bed cut him off.

                “You’re a Raider, Gage! You’re what I’m supposed to protect them from and now I’m just bringing you around, parading you in front of them and expecting them to just be okay with it! Of course they don’t trust me! And tonight just solidified that. If you had seen the way Preston used to act around me, versus how he does now…” She was going now, and she jumped up suddenly, springing past him. She began pacing the room, fists clenched at her sides.

                “And how can I blame them? I fuck off for more than a month and when I come back, not only am I the Overboss of a shit load of Raiders, I’m _fucking_ one of them? And even though I haven’t changed, I still keep them safe; keep the settlements in order, freed the slaves from Nuka-World, none of that matters, because in the end I sided with you guys. I sided with the Raiders.” She said, her voice changing cadence as though she was realizing all of this for the first time. It wasn’t the first time, however. They had this conversation many times before. Hell, he had tried to tell her this would happen if they ran together in the Commonwealth before they had even left Nuka-World.

                “But you’ve told them that you’re the best choice for Nuka-World. That with you in charge there they’re actually safer than if any other Raider was-,” He started. She scoffed, cutting him off once more.

                “You think they care about that? No, all they see is us together, me choosing a Raider over them.” She said, and Gage felt the defeat in her words. He stood, coming to stand in front of her, blocking her from continuing her strides across the floor. She stopped short, her face cast towards the ground.

                “So no. I didn’t tell them about it. Because how could I? How could I tell them that you’ll be forever tied to me now? That this isn’t something that will eventually end? That there’s gonna be a permanent reminder of my betrayal of them running around here someday?” She said, tears now falling in earnest again. He stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He had never quite grasped why these people were such a big deal to her, but he had accepted it nonetheless. All his life he had avoided getting attached to people, trusting people, and mostly for this very reason. Because if you trusted someone, not only could they let you down, but you could easily do the very same to them.

                “They’ll get over it, Olivia. Eventually we’ll prove it to them. That you’re the same person you were before Nuka-World. I ain’t gonna change that. Even if I gotta stop coming around when you come out here.” He said, though he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that. Splitting up for a job was one thing, but staying back in Nuka-World while she fucked around by herself in the Commonwealth was an entirely different can of worms.

                “I dunno. But tonight Preston made it pretty clear where we stand. I’m still General of the Minutemen for now, and I’ll keep the settlements safe and recruit more Minutemen, but that’s it. The friendship he and I had… I don’t think it’s salvageable.” She said, and he could tell just how much it hurt her to say. He reached out to her, letting his hand caress her arm. She was so cold.

                “Things will get better, Boss.” He said, only half believing it himself. In his head, he was imagining himself beating the Minuteman to a bloody pulp for making her feel this shitty. He knew that would only add fuel to the fire though.

                “Maybe.” She said, and with a sigh she came to him, wrapping her arms around his torso, pressing herself into his warmth. He returned the embrace, burying his face in the top of her head. She was so damn _small._

                “Let’s go to bed. I’m so fucking tired.” She said eventually, and with those words he realized just how tired he was as well. They got ready and lay down on the mattress, and he pulled her tight to him, falling asleep to the soft sounds of her breathing.

 


	7. I Walk The Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting to some action now! Hope you're all still enjoying!

                It was the light filtering through the crack of the garage door that woke him. Dawn had just begun to break, and he could feel that it was going to be rainy and shitty out, even before opening his eyes. He felt Olivia shift beside him and cracked his good eye, seeing her curled against him, one of her hands tracing soft circles on her abdomen. His heart sped up at the sight, as though he was remembering it all again. His kid. That was his kid in there. It was a mantra he repeated in his head almost every day since she told him. He still had trouble with the reality of it.

                “How did you know?” He asked softly so as not to startle her. She jerked slightly, but then resumed the circular motion, not looking at him.

                “Know what?” She asked, just as softly. He shifted uncomfortably. He still felt so awkward talking about it. But why?  
                “You know, know that it was in there? You ain’t been sick, least not that I saw.” He said, trying to remember pregnancy symptoms, but coming up short. This was definitely not his area of expertise. She let out a quiet chuckle.

                “You’re gonna laugh.” She said, finally turning in the bed and resting her head against his shoulder. He raised a brow at her, but he knew she probably didn’t see it. She must have felt his body language change though, because she went on.

                “Dandy Boy Apples.” She said, and laughed again. This time he turned more fully towards her, so he could see her face and she his.

                “When I was pregnant before… with Shaun…,” She said, her face slightly darkening at the mention of her first child, the one she had lost to the Institute. “-well, I never had any nausea, except when someone around me would open a box of those fucking apples. Whenever I smelled them, I would get insanely sick.” She explained, a small smile dancing across her face again. He felt his own lips twitch in response.

                “And one day, we were in the Market resupplying; remember right before we went out to clear out that old Red Rocket on the edge of the park?” She asked, watching his face. He nodded.

                “Some trader opened a box right next to me and the minute that smell hit me… Well, I dunno what those fucking things are made of, but that smell hasn’t changed in 200 years.” She said, grimacing slightly.

                “That’s when I suspected, at least.” She finished.

                “I’ll be sure to keep ‘em away from you then.” He said, rather lamely. She laughed, turning onto her stomach and inching up to him, so their faces were inches apart.

                “Probably a good idea, unless you want me blowing chunks everywhere.” She said, her voice dropping low in her throat into a tone that, had she been saying literally anything else, would have turned him on considerably. She stretched, her body tightening next to him, and then sat up, her eyes scanning the room.

                “Gonna be shitty out today.” She said, reaching for her shirt and pulling it on over her head. He watched her, marveling at the smooth pale expanse of her back, how unmarred by injury and radiation she was. He loved watching her, even just doing the small things like getting dressed or packing her bag. He reveled in her movements, the grace of her, how she seemed to make everything she touched softer; even him.

                “How long do you think we’ll stay in Sanctuary?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but already he could feel his skin itching with the anticipation of leaving the place. She sighed, standing to pull on her worn black pants. He reached over and grabbed his discarded tank top, checking the smell of it and deciding it wasn’t too bad to wear again. He pulled it on before getting to his feet, still watching her.

                “I dunno. A couple of the settlers told me that some of the turrets need maintenance. And there’s a wall that I wanna reinforce near the back path that leads up to the vault. Also I’d like to see if I can pull together enough scrap to fix one of the old generators I found to get power to the buildings down by the cul-de-sac, maybe get some lights down there.” She said, and he found himself trying very hard not to roll his eye. She always came up with a laundry list of things to do when they came out to Sanctuary. He knew that she needed to take care of the settlements in her charge, but it always seemed like the work was never done.

                “So… a week?” He said hopefully. She turned to him, her eyes sympathetic.

                “Maybe two?” She countered. He closed his good eye briefly and nodded.

                “Well, maybe I can wander around; find some trouble to get into.” He said, knowing really that he wouldn’t go too far. Not without her. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

                “Nick is here. He was asking about you.” She said, and he felt his mood lighten slightly. While he wouldn’t exactly call the detective a friend, he was at least someone that didn’t look on him like a feral ghoul.

                “Valentine’s here? Well I’ll have to find him and say hello then, won’t I?” He said, reaching out a hand and grasping her by the waist. She let out a small squeak at the sudden movement and he pulled her close.

                “Just promise me that if you hear anything, even the smallest clue, we’re out of here to check it out.” He said into her ear. She was close, and he could smell the last remnants of sleep on her, fading like the haze of heat come nightfall in the summer.

                “I promise.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper. Then he captured her lips in a kiss, holding her to that promise.

 

 

                The whole week had turned out to be shitty weather. It rained almost constantly, turning Sanctuary into a radioactive mud pit. Olivia worked almost non-stop on her improvements, beginning with the turrets and moving on to other smaller projects. Today she had decided to work on the wall, down behind some of the houses. Several of the settlers were out helping her, MacCready and a guy named Sturges among them. Gage hadn’t really gotten a read on Sturges, but he seemed like an alright guy. Olivia had mentioned he was part of the group that she had rescued from Concord when she had met Preston. Aside from that, he just seemed to be trying to make a living like the rest of the settlers in Sanctuary.

                Gage had decided to keep himself out of sight as much as possible on this trip. With Preston’s words to Olivia still so fresh, he had no desire to see the man, much less make himself more visible. He stayed on the outskirts of Sanctuary, or down at the Red Rocket station, fiddling with his armor or weapons, and otherwise just being bored out of his skull.

                Today he had decided to take a walk along the creek that ran alongside Sanctuary. It was still fairly close to the settlement, but far enough away he thought that he might be able to avoid most of the people. The sky was overcast, and a fine mist was falling, threatening to turn into a hard rain at any moment. He hated weather like this; indecisive. He wished it would just rain or be dry, one or the other.

                He was leaning against a crumbling rock wall, looking out over the water when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He didn’t bother turning to look; he knew it was more than likely one of two people. As he saw the fedora’d figure come into view on his side, he knew he had been right.

                “How you doing, Gage?” Came the synths voice. He had always found it interesting to listen to Nick. Olivia had explained that his programming, his memories were from some Pre-War detective, so his accent and his idioms were dated, making him like a walking Pre-War holotape.

                “Can’t complain I suppose. Yourself?” Gage replied cordially. Nick leaned over the wall beside him, watching the same spot he was focused on.

                “Not too bad. Was tracking a runaway husband when I decided to pop into my favorite home away from home. Imagine my surprise when the two of you show up.” He said. Gage shifted his gaze to the synth, taking in his appearance; tie askew, long trench coat, black boots that looked almost out of place with the rest of his get up. He vaguely wondered about the rain and if it bothered someone like Nick.

                “Runaway husband?” Gage asked, and Nick chuckled.

                “Yeah, probably ran away with a mistress if you ask me. But I always take the case anyways. The wives never want to accept what’s right in their faces.” He explained, and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of one of the trench coat pockets, taking one out and placing it between his synthetic lips before holding the pack out to Gage. Gage only thought about it briefly before holding up a hand to decline. Nick shrugged and put the pack back, pulling out an old gold-plated lighter. It took a couple tries to light the cigarette in the wet air, but eventually Gage smelled the familiar stale tobacco smell wafting around him. He found himself wondering what a synth could possibly get from smoking, but refrained from asking about it.

                “So did you find him?” Gage asked, turning to lean his back against the wall. Nick took a long drag and smiled at him, letting the smoke out slowly through his nose.

                “Not yet. Figured I might give the wife a few more days of thinking he’s just missing or kidnapped or something before I break her heart.” He said, his confidence making Gage think that, while he may not have actually found the man, he probably had a very good idea of where he was.

                “That’s nice of you.” Gage said, with only a small amount of sarcasm in his voice. Nick let out the breath of a laugh.

                “Yeah, I suppose you could say that.” He said. It was quiet for a bit, the two standing in a companionable silence. Nick stamped out the butt of his cigarette and turned to Gage, meeting his eye.

                “So how’s our girl?” He asked, and Gage could see that it wasn’t just a simple question of how Olivia was doing; Nick knew something was up.

                “She’s alright, though you could always ask her.” Gage said, striving for a nonchalant tone. It would be Olivia’s choice to tell him anything about her pregnancy. He wouldn’t be the one to drop that bomb.

                “Oh I have. Seems like something heavy’s on her mind, though. Just wanted to make sure she’s okay, you know?” He said, and Gage could tell that there was nothing malicious or angry in his asking; he was truly worried about her.

                “So far as I know, Nick, she’s fine. Yeah, she’s got some shit on her mind, what with Garvey acting the way he is-,” He started, and Nick cut him off.

                “Ah, yeah. I thought there was some tension there. Guess he still hasn’t come around to her choosing you to pal around with, huh?” He asked. Gage scoffed, his eye focused on the ground now. He kicked at the dirt, wondering how to put it tactfully.

                “No, and I think he made it pretty clear that he probably wouldn’t be coming around to that idea any time soon. You know Olivia, that hurt pretty bad.” He said, deciding that revealing this information about her and Garvey was better than telling Nick about their kid.

                “Yeah, I can imagine. She’s pretty-,” He started, but was cut off by a scream, followed by the _rat-tat-tat_ of gun fire coming from the settlement. Gage was running before his mind could catch up, Nick hot on his heels. There was another scream, and more gunfire. Gage drew his pistol, the only weapon he had on him and flipped the safety off, his legs still carrying him as fast as they could.

                He hit the back yards of the houses that lined the main street and caught his first glimpse of the mayhem; bloodbugs. There was a swarm of them in the street, diving and swerving around the ducking heads of several settlers. He took aim at one that had a woman pinned to the ground and fired right as it was about to plunge its needle like appendage into her flesh. The bug jerked as his bullet found the mark, and it fell dead on top of the woman. Gage didn’t stop to see if she was alright, just plunged forward, his eye scanning for Olivia.

                He saw her on the other side of the street, her shotgun in hand. She was standing between two of the bugs and a woman and her child. The woman was bleeding from a shoulder wound, clutching at the kid and letting out periodic shrieks. Olivia was screaming orders at people to run, to get inside, all the while loosing shots as the bugs got closer. Gage took aim and fired, dropping the bugs closest to her. She turned and saw him, her eyes lighting for a moment before they moved on to scan for the next people to help.

                They cleared the street fairly quickly once he reached her, but more bugs kept trickling in as they tried to clean up the mess that had been left. There were more than a few settlers injured. He didn’t think anyone was dead, but he couldn’t be sure. Every time they thought they got the last one, there would be a buzzing noise and another would show up, throwing everything into chaos once more.

                “I’ve gotta go see where they’re coming from. Something probably riled up a nest nearby and they’re swarming from there. I can go clear them out.” Gage said to Olivia. She was crouched on the ground next to a man who had taken one of the proboscises to the arm, and was bleeding profusely. She swung her gaze up to him, her face very pale.

                “No, you can’t go alone. I’ll come too.” She said, and made to stand, but he could see the hesitancy in her movement and stopped her.

                “No, stay here. It’s just a bunch of fucking bugs, Olivia; I can take care of it. They can’t be coming from that far away. These people need you.” He said, already turning to go. She stopped him, her hand grasping his elbow.

                “Just… be careful.” She said, and pecked him quickly on the cheek. He gave her a smile, then checked his pistol and turned, heading off to the south where he had seen the bugs coming from. He only looked back once, seeing her standing over the man, still shouting orders to people, commanding the situation, and then he spun back and jogged out of the settlement.

 

               

                He ran for the better part of two hours, following a trail of straggling bloodbugs south. He finally found the place they had been hiding; an old blood bank just outside a dilapidated military base. He cleared it with relative ease, as the bugs had mostly swarmed north and been taken out already. He was searching the area to see if there was any good salvage when he heard a woman scream. He waited, seeing if he heard it again. Eventually, the cry came again. It was visceral, sending a shiver up his spine.

                “Shit.” He whispered under his breath, and, checking his magazine, left in search of the woman. He never would have gone to anyone’s aid before Olivia, he thought off-handedly to himself as he headed towards where he thought he heard the sound before. He stopped, just off the road and listened again.

                “ _Somebody please help me!”_ The cry came again, and this time he set off at a quicker pace, his heart beginning to thump in his chest. He jogged for a while, and then the call came again, to his relief, much closer. He still couldn’t see the woman, though something in him told him he should be able to. He came to a stop in a clearing and stood listening again. There was a rustling behind him and he turned, seeing nothing.

                Very suddenly it hit him, and the thought made the panic rise in his throat, his heart beating so hard he thought it would break his ribs.

                He had fallen for the oldest trick in the book.

                The helpless settler trick. He turned to leave, to try to run, but something caught him a glancing blow on the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. He shook himself, trying to regain his composure quickly, but before he could gain purchase to stand again, something hard came down on the back of his head, and darkness overtook him.

               


	8. The Man Comes Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying this. We're getting to the thick of it now!

                The first conscious thought that Gage had when he came to was that this was why he never helped anyone, Olivia and her morals be damned. The second thing he thought was that he was currently in possession of the worst headache he’d ever had in his life. He tried to wipe at his face, only to discover both his wrists were chained up, each arm held stretched out above him. The noise from the movement of the chains made his head throb and he stopped moving. He blinked, trying to clear his head, trying to get a handle on the situation. His armor was gone and he was barefoot. He was outside, but something was above his head. Was he in a shack? No, he could feel the wind blowing, and the light that he saw was natural, not that of electricity. He blinked again and lifted his head slowly.

                He was on an old overpass, he realized. He could look out and see the horizon, far in the distance. He was chained outside a makeshift shack that had been built out of old boards and street signs. The chains were attached to an old Power Armor station. There was no cage around him, but concrete dividers formed a sort of room, where he couldn’t see much from his kneeling position. There was an opening in front of him, and the rest of the view was obscured by old cars and a large gutted bus. He noticed a lot of things had been emblazoned with the Gunner’s insignia, but someone had taken paint of some kind and tried to hastily cover the emblems.

                “Well well well, if it isn’t my old friend Porter Gage.” A voice came from somewhere to his right. He turned his head and groaned as the movement sent bolts of pain through his temples. He grimaced and opened his eye, staring into the face of none other than Connor, or The Harvester, as he had been known 20 years ago.

                “The Wasteland ain’t been kind to you, Connor.” Gage retorted, noting the long jagged scar that crisscrossed the man’s left cheek. He was visibly older, his tanned face cut with the lines of age. His flat-topped cut hair was silver now, a far cry from the deep brown it had been 20 years before. His jawline was still strong and angular though, and he still had the lean muscle that surviving as the leader of a group of people that could turn on you at any moment gave a person. Connor had circled to the front of the concrete barriers, standing in the gap that served as the entrance to Gage’s prison. The Raider leaned against the low wall, eyes scanning Gage.

                “Could say the same about you, Porter. Hey, last time I saw you, didn’t you have both your eyes?” He said, and Gage fought back the urge to spit at him.

                “Sure did, and I lost it cause your fucking ass tried to have me killed.” He said, the ire in his voice practically dripping. Connor laughed humorlessly.

                “Tried to have you killed? You were gunning for my spot, Porter. You of all people should know, that’s just the cost of doing business as a Raider.” He answered, his eyes still locked on Gage’s.

                “It’s just Gage now, if you don’t mind. Now can we move this shit along and just have you tell me what the fuck you want or kill me or whatever you’re gonna do?” He said impatiently. Connor crossed his arms over the leather armor he wore. Gage could hear talking and laughing around him now, and tried to mentally calculate how many Raiders were up here. His head was still too fuzzy, however, and he quickly gave up that pursuit.

                “Geez, Porter, you sure know how to upset a guy. Haven’t seen you in 20 years and you don’t even wanna know what I’ve been up to?” He asked sarcastically. Gage resisted the urge to grimace as he blatantly ignored his request to not call him by his first name. Connor had always called him Porter; it was one of the main reasons he hated it so much.

                “To be quite honest with you, Connor, I don’t give two shits what you’ve been doing, seeing as the last time I saw you, you were quite literally trying to kill me. So if you don’t mind-,” He said, but the Raider cut him off.

                “See, after that whole shitshow with you and the other crew, I decided the Commonwealth was a lost cause. So I took my guys down to the Capital Wasteland. We’ve been quite lucrative down there, built up a nice crew. Good caps, good numbers. It’s been great.” He said, his face plastered with a dumb fucking look of pleasure. Gage satisfied himself by imagining his fist slamming into it multiple times.

                “Well, sounds like you should get back to it then.” Gage said sardonically. Connor ignored him.

                “Then about a year ago, some asshole comes wandering into my camp. I almost have him killed; he’s dressed like some fucking cartoon out of one of those old comic books. I think he’s fucking crazy, ranting about a Raider fortress in an abandoned theme park down in the Commonwealth. Tells me he’s from some faction that got kicked out, wants to help me take it back or some shit.” He explained. Gage felt his heart jump into his throat. The Pack. Some fucking asshole from the Pack escaped and made it all the way down to the Capital. Fuck.

                “The funny thing is, I’m about to fucking kill this idiot, you know? I think he’s some junkie, looking to get a fix or some shit. But then he mentions you.” Connor said, his eyes flashing as he comes to this revelation. Gage fought hard to keep his face clear, not giving anything away. Connor let a smirk come to his lips.

                “Now I’m intrigued. So I listen to this guy as he tells me that not only are you second in command at this so called “Raider Fortress”, but that the leader is some Minuteman bitch who just rolled in one day and killed the old Overboss.” He went on. Gage’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Olivia.

                “Can’t believe everything you hear from Raiders, Connor.” Gage said, with as much detachment as he could muster. Connor laughed.

                “See, that’s what I thought too. I thought, even if you were alive and were out there somewhere, there was no way in hell that _my_ Porter Gage would be letting some woman, especially some woman working for the Minutemen, order him around. No way. So here I am, probably about to kill this fucker again, when who the fuck should walk through my door again but _another_ one of these Pack fuckers.” Connor said, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of the fucked up game he was playing. Gage could feel his heart hammering. He was going to kill these idiots, and then Connor, and any Pack fucker he ever met again for the rest of his life.

                “So when this other asshole corroborates every single thing that the first guy tells me, well, I have no choice but to believe them, don’t I?” He asked, and finally stepped forward into the room, two paces from where Gage knelt. Gage kept his face carefully masked, but made eye contact with the Raider.

                “Just get to the fucking point, Connor. What do you want?” Gage asked, letting irritation seep into his voice. This was not good.

                “Well, first I wanna know if it’s true! Is Porter, _my Porter_ , really letting some bitch tell him what to do? Are you really letting some Wasteland nobody be Overboss of a bunch of Raiders?” He asked. Gage felt the rage rise in his chest at the slur, and vaguely thought Olivia would be proud of him for being so upset by it, but forced that to the side, focusing on keeping his cards as hidden as possible. It had slowly been dawning on him that Connor was not only after him, but after Nuka-World, and therefore after Olivia. That was fucking dangerous.

                “Look, what do you want me to tell you, Connor? Yeah, it was a chick that came in and killed the old Overboss, and yeah, I’m her second in command. But that’s it. She’s the best fucking Overboss that place has ever seen, no matter what you heard.” He said, deciding that at this point, as close to the truth as possible was probably the best option. He had the smallest sliver of hope he could still deter the man.

                “Fuck Porter, she’s really messed with your fucking head if you think a Minuteman General has the best interest of any Raider in her heart at all. You two aren’t fucking, are you?” Connor asked, but Gage could tell he already knew the answer to that. Still he shook his head.

                “No we ain’t fucking, Connor. Not that it’s any of your goddamned business.” He said, striving for a bored tone. Connor laughed.

                “That ain’t what my little friends from the Pack told me. Said you two were inseparable and the whole park could hear you two going at it some nights.” He went on. Gage exhaled hard. His mind kept thinking of Olivia; telling himself he had to stay calm, stay level headed, not give anything away.

                “Believe what you wanna believe, Connor. Now what the fuck do you want with me?” He asked harshly. Connor put a mock look of hurt on.

                “Why, I want Nuka-World, duh! I thought that was fucking obvious by now. And I want you to help me get it.” He said. Gage let out a mirthless chuckle.

                “Why the fuck would I do that?” He asked, meeting Connor’s eyes again.

                “Well, because I know there’s two ways into that park, the transit station and the back pass. And since one of my idiots left his shit behind, I assume you all have gone ahead and closed that one up, and probably locked the transit station down pretty tight. I know that you can help me get in there, easy.” He said, and this time, Gage laughed in full.

                “Better go ahead and just kill me now, Connor. Ain’t no way that’s happening.” He said through a chuckle. Connor smiled. Gage could see he was missing teeth, and the few he did have were in poor shape. The Raider rubbed a large calloused hand over his stubbled chin, and then knelt in front of Gage, bringing him to eye level.

                “Well then, I’ll just have to wait for your little girlfriend to show up here, looking for you as I assume she will. Then I’ll chop her fucking head off and march down to that fucking park of hers and stick it on a spike for everyone to see that I’m the new Overboss now.” He said, his voice taking on a sick, low tone that made the bile rise in Gage’s throat. His façade was cracking, he could feel it. He was desperately trying to keep that image, Olivia’s severed head on a pike, out of his head, but he was losing.

                “She won’t come looking for me. I ain’t that important to her. And you won’t get to her, not in Nuka-World.” Gage said, almost feeling the lie in his words as they came out. He knew she would be searching for him before the day was out. He couldn’t let Connor know she was in the Wasteland, though. Couldn’t let him know he could get to her. The thought struck him that he may already know, hell, he knew how to find Gage, but he didn’t want to make it easy for the man.

                “Then you help me get in. And I just put a bullet in her head the old fashioned way.” Connor said, as though this was the best option. Gage shrugged, hearing the chains clink again.

                “Just gonna have to kill me, Connor. I ain’t helping you do shit.” He said defiantly. Connor laughed and stepped closer, closing the gap between them. He reached out and slapped playfully at Gage’s cheek. Gage pulled back as much as he could, rage rising white behind his eyes.

                “Oh, Porter. Killing you would be too easy.” He said, his eyes cold and empty, and Gage suddenly wished very much that he were dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda imagine Gage putting off a very Johnny Cash vibe, I dunno. I get a lot of inspiration for writing this story by listening to old school country like Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, etc. Just puts me in what I like to think is Gage's mindset. Maybe that's weird. Anywayssss, hope you guys thought this chapter was exciting, next one coming soon!


	9. One's On The Way

                Gage wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been there. He had stopped counting after the second week. Time seemed to lose all meaning to him as the Raiders fell into their routine around him. They left him to himself for the most part, until right before dark when they would come, Connor watching from the back, and begin their sick games. Usually it began with him being doused in dirty water. At first he had just taken it, but as the thirst began to set in, he would try desperately to catch what he could in his mouth, even as he felt the rads seep into him.

                Then they would move on to questioning him. It was usually only one or two of Connor’s cronies, standing on either side of him, asking him about Nuka-World, how to get in, how many Raiders were there, what the weapon situation was, that kind of thing. Sometimes they would ask about Olivia. They would question him for about 20 minutes, until they were fed up with his silence or sarcastic answers, then the beatings would start. Sometimes they were quick, just a couple jabs to the body or face, but often they were long, drawn out sessions that left him barely clinging to consciousness, hanging by the chains that held him there.

                Every couple of days, a small woman with a slave collar on would come over and feed him. He had thought about refusing the food at first, just killing himself by starving, but every time he thought that would be the best option, Olivia’s face would float through his mind, reminding him that he had to hang on, even though it looked like a dire situation. He had to get back to her, somehow.

                Aside from the hunger and thirst, he thought he might freeze to death some nights. The Wasteland autumn was in full swing now, turning the nights frigid so the blood that often flowed from his nose or other gashes turned to ice crystals on his skin. It was always just as he thought he couldn’t bear it anymore that the dawn came, warming him again to face another day of torture.

                He had discerned that there were only probably about 12 or 13 Raiders here with Connor, but from what Connor had let slip, this wasn’t his whole crew, nor was this their normal hideout. They had chosen this place because of its proximity to the entrance of Nuka-World, and the Gunners had left it nice and ready for them to move into.

                Tonight was no different than any other night. Around dusk two nondescript Raiders showed up, Connor hugging the shadows behind them. They tossed a bucket of stinking water on him, rousing him from the daze he had been in. He opened his mouth to allow some of the precious droplets to fall onto his tongue, ignoring the hyena-like laughs from the men around him. He shifted after a while, bringing his face up to stare down the closest one.

                “Gonna talk tonight, Porter?” Came Connor’s voice from behind them. Gage scoffed, blinking as the sting from the radiated water ebbed from his good eye. Connor stepped forward, pushing past the Raiders that stood in his way. This was different; usually Connor only watched.

                “C’mon, Porter. All you gotta do is tell me one piece of information. How to get past the defenses in the pass, or the passwords to the terminals to get the monorail running again, and all this will be over. You and I could be sharing a drink and reveling in our coming victory over the Commonwealth. It doesn’t have to be like this.” He said, standing a few feet away from Gage. He was pacing slowly back and forth in front of him. Gage felt his own legs ache from the prolonged kneeling position he was stuck in.

                “Think I’ll pass.” Gage grunted, his voice hoarse. Connor shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. He turned sharply to Gage.

                “What’s it gonna take, Porter? Do I have to take your other eye? Huh?” He said, getting  closer. Gage could smell the alcohol on him, along with the stink of sweat and gunpowder.

                “You could I guess. Better to just kill me I think.” He said, earning a cocked brow from Connor. Gage let out the ghost of a laugh.

                “Look, it’s been a while, right? She ain’t coming to look for me. Hell, she probably already has another second and is holed up in Nuka-World as we speak, not thinking another thought about me. All you’re doing is wasting your time here.” Gage croaked. The Raider watched him for a moment, and then lunged forward suddenly, his hand gripping Gage’s face hard. Gage tried to pull back, but Connor’s hold was strong.

                “I told you killing you would be too easy for you. I still mean it.” He said, his voice so cold it sent a shiver up Gage’s spine. He smacked impishly at Gage’s cheek, and then turned to the two Raiders who were still standing there.

                “Make him regret it.” Was all Connor said, before he spun on his heel and walked out.

 

 

                This one had been one of the longer beatings, and it had left him with what he was sure was a broken rib, if not two, and a few loosened teeth. His nose had stopped bleeding, but he knew that was broken too; not that it mattered much, it had been broken at least six times before now.

                He was breathing slowly, allowing himself the small pleasure of imagining Olivia, her hands touching him, the smell of her hair, the sound of her laugh. He often did this when night fell and the Raiders had left him alone again. It was the only thing that kept him sane, kept him alive. Tonight he even ventured to think of the kid, what she would do if he died up here, what the kid would look like, how it would grow up and what she would tell it about him.

                He knew she would be looking for him, the question was, how long would she look? She could probably have followed the trail of bloodbugs to the old blood bank, but then would she be able to follow his tracks to where he was taken? He wasn’t really sure where he was, but he thought he was in the old Mass Pike Interchange, the overpass that Olivia and MacCready had cleared the Gunners out of a long time ago. That wasn’t too far from where he had been, would she be able to figure it out?

                He had begun to hope that she had just decided he was dead and stopped looking. As time wore on, and he had not given Connor any information, the man slowly became more and more depraved. Most times after the Raiders were done kicking the shit out of him, Connor would come over and whisper things in his ear, things he was gonna do to Olivia when he got a hold of her, sick, fucked up shit that he had to actively force himself not to think about for fear of dreaming about it when he fell into his exhausted sleep. He hoped she wouldn’t come herself. The thought of her dying trying to rescue him was too much.

                He shifted, feeling the metal rings cut into the raw bleeding flesh around his wrists. He had spent the better part of the first week pulling at them incessantly. They didn’t budge at all.

                He was dozing in and out as he always did, not able to fully fall asleep but unable to stay conscious anymore. Olivia’s face floated in and out of his vision, smiling at him. He tried to smile back, happy that he could see her so clearly tonight.

                “ _Gage. Gage. Shit, Gage wake up.”_ She was whispering, and it was so real, like she was whispering right in his ear…

                His eye shot open. He wasn’t hallucinating. She was there, crouched in front of him, wearing all black and pulling her bag around herself. She began digging in the side pocket, pulling out her bobby pin box. He blinked rapidly, trying to decide if she was real or not when she looked back at him. She met his eye and her face softened.

                “Gage, shit are you okay? Can you hear me?” She said, still whispering. He blinked and nodded, grimacing at the movement. She began to work on the chains as quietly as she could, her lock picking skills making short work of the restraints. It was full dark out, and he _thought_ it might even be late at night; he wasn’t sure how long he had dozed for. He could hear the sounds of the camp around him. Mostly quiet, though down the pass a ways some Raiders were talking low, probably the ones charged with guard duty.

                “Olivia? What-,” He started, but she silenced him with a hand on his lips. She slipped the bobby pin back in her bag and began rifling around again. He stretched his arms in front of him and flexed his fingers. They were stiff, swollen from being held in such a position for so long, but he thought they weren’t too damaged. Suddenly she shoved a pistol into his hands.

                “Can you hold that? Gage, can you?” She asked, her eyes concerned as he clumsily took the gun from her. He nodded, looking from the weapon to her, questions stuck on the tip of his tongue. She caressed his face quickly, and then spun her head to look behind her.

                “When I tell you, we’re gonna run that way. See that car?” She asked, pointing at the rusted out frame just beyond the concrete barriers. He nodded.

                “There’s an elevator right on the other side of it. We’re going for it when I say, okay? There’s gonna be someone already on it. Don’t worry about her.” She said, her voice still a low urgent whisper. He nodded slowly, trying very hard to take in what she was saying. Everything was happening so fast, and his malnourished mind was having a difficult time processing things.

                She pulled her bag back on and readied her shotgun, turning so she was poised to run. She reached back and grasped his arm. Her hands were warm, but he felt the tremor of nervous excitement running through her. It was very quiet for what felt like forever. He was so caught up in everything that was happening that he almost let out a yell when the first explosion hit.

                “Now!” She said and sprang forward, pulling him along with her. He stumbled, his legs not used to moving after having been in the kneeling position for so long, but he got back up quickly, forcing himself to find balance and follow behind Olivia. There was chaos everywhere, he could hear the Raiders shooting wildly, struggling to figure out what was happening. Then another explosion rocked the overpass. He felt the structure vibrating beneath him as they ran, dodging around the car.

                “Get Porter! Get him!” He heard Connor screaming from somewhere behind him. The elevator was coming into view now and they all but slammed into it, Olivia pounding the red button with such force that he thought she would break it. There was a woman cowering on it already and Gage recognized her as the small slave that had fed him a couple times. The collar around her neck was gone, leaving no trace except a slight redness from the weight of it. Of course Olivia would be rescuing her too.

Another explosion came from above, sending one of the old cars into a huge glowing mushroom cloud. He could hear yelling and screaming as the lift began its way down. They looked up and saw Raiders staring down at them, and he saw Connor barking orders. Bullets were whizzing past their heads. As they watched, several of the Raiders started to climb down the wires of the lift, causing it to rock and jolt.

                “Shit.” Olivia said under her breath and pulled a combat knife from her boot. She started sawing at the wires, making an awful grinding sound as she worked.

                “Hold on, this is probably gonna be shitty.” She said as the first wire snapped, sending the lift teetering to the right. He held on as she leapt to the other side of the lift, sawing with all her might at the last wire until it snapped too, and then they were in a free fall.

                The lift hit the ground hard, but they luckily had only been about 10 feet in the air. He shook himself from the impact of their landing and looked up. The Raiders that had been climbing down were now stuck, blowing wildly in the wind. He only had a moment to think about how funny it looked when Olivia was grabbing at him again.

                “Gage, c’mon we gotta go!” She was yelling. He realized they were still being shot at and struggled to his feet. The slave was already up and moving, running fast. Olivia called out to her, then decided to let her go, turning her attention back to Gage. They jumped out of the wreckage of the lift and started running. Gage was winded embarrassingly fast, but luckily they only ran for a short time before stopping. He was wheezing slightly, but still heard the rustling footsteps coming up behind them. He swung around, clumsily aiming the pistol he still gripped in his hand.

                “Woah there Gage, if you’re not careful you’re liable to shoot yourself.” William Black’s voice came from the dark. He lowered the gun and sighed. Mags came up behind her brother, her eyes taking Gage’s appearance in before looking to Olivia.

                “We’re heading back to Nuka-World. Where are Nisha and her people?” Olivia was asking. Gage tried to follow the conversation, but there was a ringing in his ears that wouldn’t stop, and he found the edges of his vision going grey. He felt himself sway dangerously, and Olivia’s hand shot out to grasp his arm. The ringing was getting louder, and he had the sudden notion that he was about to pass out.

                “Gage? Shit.” Was the last thing he heard Olivia say before his world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Olivia to the rescue! Though did we ever doubt she'd find him?


	10. The Last Thing On My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter! Lots of talking, and a cute moment or two. Hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

                He was so fucking tired of being unconscious.

                That was the first coherent thought that passed through his mind when he was capable of such a sentiment again. He groaned, feeling like Brahmin shit warmed over. He wondered how long he had been out this time. His mouth was dry and tasted awful, and he worked his tongue a couple times to try to dissipate the scum that had gathered there. He was starving, but that was nothing new. He wondered vaguely if the small slave woman would be by today to feed him, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. He absently reached a hand up to check the state of his face, groaning again as he felt the damage, probing with his…fingers…

                He sat bolt upright, ignoring the pain as the events of his rescue came flooding back into his brain. He glanced wildly around the room, pulling back the thin blanket he was covered with and trying to get untangled from it. There was a Rad-Away bag attached to his arm and he ripped at it, pulling the needle out with a small spurt of blood. He was frantically trying to get up, still reeling and wondering where he was. The place looked familiar but his malnourished brain was having trouble finding the words…

                “Gage! Gage stop! Lie back down!” Someone was yelling at him and he started, finally getting his legs free and swinging them from the bed. He stood, only to topple over suddenly, and he felt the weakness in his limbs that adrenaline had not allowed him to feel before. He tried again, feeling the cold concrete under him, frantically scrambling to get up, when warm hands grasped his arm. He looked up; ready to defend himself as best he could from… Olivia.

                “Gage. You’re safe. Stop moving, you’ll hurt yourself.” She was saying, and her voice was soft and calming. He did as he was told and stopped, letting her help him back onto the bed. He was staring at her, unbelieving. But there she was, pale and so tired looking that it made his heart ache. She was watching him closely, her hand still resting on his arm. Suddenly he remembered everything, the woman in the clearing, being taken, Connor, his disgusting threats on her life. He shot his hands out, grasping her by the biceps.

                “Did you kill him? Is he dead?” He asked, knowing he sounded and probably looked crazy. Olivia tried to pull away, her eyes searching his, wondering if he was hallucinating more than likely.

                “Who? I-I don’t know Gage, I don’t-,” She was saying, her voice still striving for calm.

                “Connor! Where is he? Is he dead? I need to know!” Gage asked, his voice rising. He could feel how raw his throat was, feel how tense his entire body felt, but he needed to know. He needed to warn her.

                “Gage, please, calm down. I don’t know if he’s dead, but I don’t think so. Can you-,” She was still trying to pull away but he tightened his grip on her. He needed to make her understand somehow.

                “He’s not dead? You didn’t kill him? We have to go back. We have to make sure he’s dead. We have to-,” He said, trying again to get off the bed. Olivia wrenched herself from his grasp, standing in front of him and blocking his way. Her eyes were scared, but determined. He gripped her again, hard.

                “Gage, stop! You’re hurt, you need to rest now. We can talk about it-,” She said, and he felt the anger coming now. She didn’t understand. _He had to make her understand_.

                “Olivia! You don’t understand. HE WILL KILL YOU!” He roared, feeling the pulse in his throat pounding, the sweat springing up on his body. Connor’s words kept running through his head “ _Cut her fucking head off”_ over and over again. He had to go, to make sure Connor was dead, that he couldn’t hurt her.

                “Gage stop!” She yelled, and he did, but it wasn’t the volume in her voice that made him cease his wild movements. His hands had found their way to her hips in his attempts to move her out of the way. They still fit there, as he had placed them there many times before, but this time there was something different. His eyes went from hers to his hands, and he realized now what it was. There, visible under the basic tee shirt she was wearing. The smallest swell in her abdomen. The slightest bump under the shirt that hadn’t been there the last time he saw her. One of his hands, seemingly on its own, traced its way across her stomach, leaving only the lightest touch. He could feel her trembling slightly, and tore his eyes away from his hands to look at her.

                “You’ve been gone awhile.” Was all she said, her own hand coming up to touch his, flattening it against her stomach. He swallowed hard, his heart still hammering in his chest. He let his eye fall again to their hands, linked and pressed against what was now very plainly and visibly their kid.

                “How long?” He croaked finally, bringing his gaze back up to meet hers. She stepped back and motioned for him to get back into the bed, covering him back up with the blanket. She stooped and gathered up the discarded Rad-Away tubing, seemingly satisfied with how much he had taken, and then finally she came to sit next to him on the bed, the wooden frame creaking under their combined weight. Now that he had calmed down a bit, he could see they were inside the Fizztop apartment at Nuka-World, where he had slept before they had become a…thing. It was warm inside, lanterns lit in the corners of the room, casting shadows over everything. He could see light filtering in from under the door, letting him get an idea that it must be sometime in the late afternoon.

                “Almost a month.” She said, very quietly. She was focused on her hands, fiddling with a string that had come loose from her shirt. He nodded to himself. He knew it had been a while. He didn’t know it had been quite that long.

                “Connor? I need to know what happened to him, Olivia.” He said, some of the urgency coming back into his voice. She looked at him like she thought he might start getting up again, but he stayed put.

                “I don’t know, Gage. It was a rescue mission, that was it. Get you out. I didn’t even fucking know it was Connor until you woke up just now.” She said. He grasped her hand, making her turn her head to face him.

                “Look, Olivia. We have to go. We have to get to him and kill him. Now.” He said, trying desperately to make her understand. She shook her head slightly, confused.

                “Gage, I doubt he’s still even there. And you’re in no shape to go anywhere right now. We can regroup and think about it later when-,”

                “No, Olivia, we have to go now. He wants Nuka-World. He is gonna kill you to try to get it. We have to get to him, to kill him, now.” He said, searching her face to see if she was getting it. She knitted her brows.

                “Well, let him have it then, whatever. I’m so tired of all this shit, Gage. I thought you were dead!” She exclaimed, and he could hear the tremor in her voice.

                “That ain’t how it works, Olivia, you know that. Plus, you can’t let him have Nuka-World. That would be the worst thing that could happen. Look, I’m okay. I just need some food and water and then we can-,”

                “No, Gage! You can’t even stand up! And why would it be the worst thing? I’m not a Raider, I never have been. And he could have killed you! Better to get out now, just let someone else-,” She started, but he cut her off, rubbing his hands angrily over his face, ignoring the pain from the bruises there.

                “Olivia, you don’t understand what Nuka-World is. You’ve never understood Nuka-World’s full potential. That’s been fine, we’ve done fine, fuck, more than fine, as it is. But the plan was always to move on the Commonwealth. There’s a reason for that.” He said, watching her face for a reaction. She stared at him questioningly.

                “Nuka-World is a goddamned stronghold, you know that. Only two ways in, easily defensible, every park walled off. If anyone wanted to attack they wouldn’t get very far. But that’s not the only thing Nuka-World has going for it.” He said. She was listening intently, her eyes glued to his.

                “Nuka-World is strategically positioned for the best takeover of the Commonwealth. Think about it. Who is out on this side of the Commonwealth that could stop an army of Raiders from moving in? No one. The Minutemen are stationed on the other side of the Commonwealth in the Castle, and you took care of the Brotherhood of Steel a while ago. Raiders could take over settlements, step up recruiting, and have an unstoppable force by the time they reached Diamond City. And from there all it would take is one or two days of fighting to destroy the Diamond City security force.” He exclaimed, watching the impact his words were having on her.

                “If anyone with a Raider mentality became Overboss of Nuka-World, especially now that it’s been cleared and is doing so well, they could potentially take over the whole Commonwealth. They would ruin all you’ve done for this place in the blink of an eye. People, the settlers you’ve helped, they would die, or be forced into slavery.” He finished. He could see her throat bob as she swallowed, and took her hand in his. She was so warm; she always was.

                “So I have to stay Overboss.” She said, and it wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact. He nodded. Any other situation, he would have said fuck it, let Connor have it. Let the Raiders have the Commonwealth, because what the fuck did he care? But it was her, it was Olivia, and he couldn’t let her lose everything she worked for, the purpose she had given herself. Not to mention, Connor was right; if he was gonna be Overboss, she would have to be dead. And there was no way in hell he was gonna let that happen.

                “But Connor wants it. And he has what sounds like a pretty large force that want to try to take it. And the best way to take it is to kill you. That’s how the line of succession works, if you remember.” He said as tactfully as he could, recalling how she had so easily turned Colter’s head into nothing but a fine red mist of blood and viscera. She nodded absently.

                “And Boss, this fucker is dangerous. He may not be all that smart, but he is ruthless and determined. And that shit will get you far. That’s why we have to kill him. Because he will keep at it until he gets Nuka-World or is dead.” He said.

                “Okay. So we _will_ kill him. But we can’t now. And we don’t even know where he is. I doubt he’s at the Interchange anymore, seeing as how we kinda blew most of it up.” She said. Gage made a move to get up, but she pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him.

                “Not to mention you’re still injured. Gage, you look like shit. You need to rest. You couldn’t even kill a molerat in your condition right now.” She said, and he knew she was right. Now that his adrenaline was fading he could feel every ache and pain in him, feel the weakness in his legs and arms, feel the hunger that tore at him.

                “I promise Gage, we will kill him. But you said Nuka-World is a stronghold, huh? So we’re safe here for now. At least until you get better. Then we can go out and find this fucker and put a bullet through his skull.” She said, in that harsh voice that meant she was serious about something. He felt his lips twitch in a smirk.

                “Fine, but I’m gonna hold you to it. The minute I can shoot straight again, we’re leaving to find him.” He countered. She nodded solemnly and reached out to the table next to the bed, grabbing a canister of purified water and handing it to him. He took it and raised it shakily to his lips, almost moaning at how good it tasted. He gulped gratefully, only stopping when Olivia reached up and stopped him.

                “Not too fast, you’ll get sick.” She said softly. He swallowed, feeling the water sooth his raw throat. She was still sitting with him on the bed, but she was staring into the light of the nearby lantern. She had let her hair get longer, and it had begun to curl around her ears, dark and glossy. She never let it get that long; it wasn’t a practical thing to do. And Olivia was always practical. Her expression was dark, and he could tell there was something else on her mind.

                “I ain’t dead, you know. I’m back now, and I’m alright.” He said, remembering her words, how she had thought he was dead. She closed her eyes and nodded ever so slightly.

                “But you could have died. And they hurt you so much.” She said very quietly. He shifted uncomfortably. He was still rather unused to having someone care about his well-being.

                “Nah, ain’t that bad Boss.” He said, feeling even as the words left his mouth the various pains and twinges that afflicted him. She turned her gaze to him, and he saw tears shining in the corners of her eyes.

                “It is. And it’s because I couldn’t find you quick enough. It’s because of me.” She said, and her voice cracked. He looked away and swallowed as she collected herself, wiping a hand across her face impatiently. Now that he was settled, that he knew where he was and that Olivia was safe, he did wonder just why it had taken so long for her to get to him. He didn’t think it should be that hard to find him.

                “What happened? After I left Sanctuary?” He asked, still not meeting her eye. She cleared her throat and took a breath.

                “It was almost dark before I realized you still hadn’t come back that day. The bloodbugs did a number on Sanctuary. Two people died.” She started. He grimaced, knowing the impact that probably had on her.

                “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. She shook her head, dismissing it.

                “I told Nick I was gonna go look for you, but it had started raining again, and with night coming, he told me to stay put. I would only get lost or hurt traipsing around the Wasteland in the dark, when it was already a muddy fucking mess to begin with. He said you had probably hunkered down somewhere until dawn as well. We thought you might show back up in the morning, when it was light again.” She explained, and Gage found himself liking Valentine even more. The synth truly had Olivia’s best interests at heart.

                “The next morning when you weren’t there, I decided to go looking for you. Nick came with me. We followed the trail of bugs you killed to the blood bank. When you weren’t there, I started to panic. I wanted to go back, wondering if we’d missed you coming back somehow. Nick pointed out your tracks, heading east away from the blood bank. We thought that was weird, until we reached the clearing.” She said. He nodded, remembering the feeling of being caught in a trap that he himself had set many times before.

                “They tricked me. Used one of their women to call out for help so I’d go looking. I was a fucking idiot.” He said, and she reached out, her fingers lightly twining with his.

                “We found the signs of the struggle. But when we went to follow the tracks to see where you went, we found that they were smarter than that. There were tracks everywhere. Leading every direction. They must have split up, sent some of their people in different ways to throw anyone looking for you off the trail.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. He focused on her hand in his, noticing for the thousandth time how small and delicate they were. But knowing how strong they were as well, how they wielded a weapon with precision and grace.

                “I went back and got Dogmeat. But with all the rain it was useless. He couldn’t find anything. So I went back again to Sanctuary, tried to gather people to help me look.” She said, and he watched a single tear slide down her cheek. She left it, unnoticed.

                “No one would come. I saved their lives countless times, built them homes to live in, made them a safe place and none of it meant anything when it came to me asking for help to save a Raider.” She said, her voice turning hard in the telling. Another tear followed the other, and this one she wiped irritably away. He felt his own anger rise hot in his chest, the settlers’ betrayal of her, all because she was involved with him. It made his blood boil.

                “Nick offered to help me keep looking, but I told him no. I told him I’d look by myself. So I did. For a week I followed every trail I could find from that clearing. But there were too many. I was just one person, and I was terrified that you would be dead by the time I could figure out where you were. Fuck, I thought you might already be dead. But I couldn’t just give up. So I went back to Sanctuary and got my shit, then I headed to Nuka-World.” She said, and her voice was stronger now. He was engrossed in the story, his thumb rubbing absent circles over the smooth skin of her hand.

                “I got there, and of fucking course, there’s almost no one there. All out running jobs in the Commonwealth or some shit. So I send the few Raiders that are still hanging around to go out and bring them back. It still takes everyone the better part of a week to get back. Meanwhile I’ve been pouring over maps, trying to think where the fuck you could be. Of course by now, you could be anywhere. It’s been so long…” She remembered. He wanted to pull her to him, to run his fingers through the dark locks of her hair, to have her near him to prove to her he was okay. But his body ached, and she was so involved in the telling he didn’t want to disturb her.

                “It didn’t take us long to form a search party. How funny is it that a bunch of Raiders are more willing to help me find you than the people I’ve spent the whole time since waking up in this fucking hell hole helping were? But we were out and by day three we thought we’d found where you were. The Mass Pike. I remember clearing it out with MacCready a while ago, there had been Gunners there before, though. We staked it out, watching it for a while. We couldn’t see much, being on the ground, but everyday around the same time, we saw all the people up there gather around one specific place for like half an hour before going back to whatever they were doing.” She said. The gleam of the lantern caught on her lashes, sending sparkles of light through the tears that still clung to them.

_She’s so fucking beautiful_ , he thought absently.

                “Yeah, probably when they were questioning me. It became like a show for them. Two guys would ask me shit, I wouldn’t answer, and then they’d kick the piss out of me for a while. Every day around evening time.” He explained. She swallowed hard, and he lightly squeezed her hand, reminding her he was okay, he was here with her again.

                “Yeah, well… I figured that something weird was going on, and with the Mass Pike being so close to the blood bank, I thought it was likely that you were there. Nisha wanted to go in guns blazing, but I knew that they’d probably just kill you if they knew we were coming.  Y’know, if they hadn’t killed you already.” She shifted, and his eye caught the swell of her stomach once more, causing his heart to speed up. He was suddenly reminded that through all this shit she was telling him, she was constantly carrying the weight of him with her. Not only was she struggling to find him, she was having to deal with being pregnant as well.

                “We watched a couple days to see the patterns before coming up with a plan. I would sneak up by myself and find you. If ten minutes passed and I didn’t come back down, they would start the assault, assuming I had found you or was captured. We had to go back to Nuka-World to get the missile launchers. It was the longest couple days of my life, trekking back and forth when I knew, or thought I knew, you were there.”  She said, and she grasped his hand more fully in hers, bringing it to her lips and pressing them against it. Her mouth was hot against his chilled skin, and he carefully disentangled their fingers and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, reaching her own hand up to cover his, to keep it there.

                “I’m sorry it took so long, Gage. It was like…everything that could go wrong, did. It was like… I don’t fucking know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go alone.” She whispered. He shook his head, ignoring the dizzy feeling he got when he did so. He cleared his throat.

                “No. If you had come with me, Connor would have killed you. There would have been nothing I could have done to stop him. I’m here now. I’m alive. I ain’t gonna leave you again, okay?” He said, rubbing his calloused thumb across her cheek, wiping away a straggling tear. She nodded. He smiled at her, his face feeling stiff and sore. He brought his hands back to his sides, and the effort made him feel like he had just spent the whole day moving a bunch of heavy shit.

                “Now, if I don’t eat something soon I ain’t gonna hold myself accountable for what happens.” He said, and she almost jumped up, as though she had sat on something hot.

                “Oh shit, I forgot you haven’t eaten a good meal in god knows how long. Lemme get something together, maybe some stew, keep it light…” She was murmuring to herself as she started puttering around the room, pulling a bowl out from behind the bar. He sighed to himself, so fucking glad she was alright, and that he was back with her again. Now he just had to make sure it stayed that way


	11. Eyes That See in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry guys for the long update time, I'm not gonna lie, I got Mass Effect Andromeda and have been totally involved in that for the past few weeks. But here are a few new chapters, hopefully they make up for it!

               Gage always dreamed. Ever since he was a kid, he could wake up and remember the vividness of the images, feel the residual effects, smell the lingering smells that came when he slept. Before Olivia, he had dreamed mostly of his past; sometimes of his parents, his siblings, sometimes of the people he killed, their faces flashing before his eyes.

                After Olivia, his dreams had changed. They became softer, more muted. He dreamed of touching her skin, the feel of her body against his. Often, before they slept together, he dreamed of fucking her, and would wake sweating and panting, and in need of a change of pants…

                When Mason had taken her, his dreams had changed again. The vision of her face, purple and swollen, her nose so viciously broken tormented him. He often dreamed that he was too late, that Mason had succeeded in killing her, or worse; that when he got there, Mason had completed what he had intended to do to her…

                He always woke with a start, deliriously happy when he found her nestled next to him, alive and pink, and breathing, and whole.

                Tonight, his dream changed again.

                He was back on the Interchange, his wrists still bloody and chafed from the chains, but free. Corpses of Raiders littered the ground around him, viscera and body parts strewn across the cracked pavement. Things were ablaze with fire, and he could smell it, smoky and acrid in his nose. He was focused though, focused on the man in front of him.

                Connor was on the ground, cowering away from him, his leg broken, sticking out at an odd angle. Gage stalked him, like a Deathclaw toying with its next meal. He could see the terror in Connor’s eyes and it pleased him.

                “You won’t hurt her.” He felt himself say, and he lunged, his hands closing around the Raider’s throat, squeezing with a force strong enough to choke the life from him. Everything began to fade around him, his sole intent on the neck between his hands, the neck that seemed suddenly too small to belong to Connor, too soft…

               

                She was tearing at his arms as he woke, finding himself not choking Connor, like in his dreams, but instead finding his hands wrapped around Olivia’s throat, fingers overlapping as they ringed her small neck. He let go and fumbled backwards, flailing as he fell off the bed. He heard her gasping, taking deep, sobbing breaths. His body ached, but he couldn’t spare a thought for that; instead he gripped at the frame of the bed, pulling himself to his knees in a desperate attempt to get up, to check that she was alright.

                “Olivia?” He asked, unsure of what to do. He didn’t know if she would be afraid of him, if she was badly hurt, if she was angry.

                “I’m fine. Fine.” She croaked, her voice raspy. He swallowed, squinting in the dim light. Her silhouette stood out against the inky black of the darkness around them. She was sitting, her knees pulled up, one hand grasping her neck, the other resting on her stomach. His own stomach lurched violently at the sight.

                “Shit, Olivia, I’m sorry. Fuck. Are you okay? The… the kid…?” He asked, awkwardly getting up and hovering, unsure what to do still. The heat of anger from the dream had faded completely, replaced by a cold fear that he had done irreparable damage, to either of them.

                “It’s okay, Gage. You weren’t on me for long.” She said, reaching a hand out to him and coaxing him back on the bed.

                “We’re fine.” She repeated, though one of her hands stayed plastered to her abdomen, as though reassuring herself. His heart did a small flip-flop at her use of “we’re”. There were two of them, why was that so hard for him to get into his head?

                “No, you’re not. I could have… fuck I was going to…” He said, remembering Connor’s face in the dream, and how he was enjoying watching the life fade from his eyes…

                “But you didn’t. It’s okay. I half expected something like this anyways, Gage.” And suddenly he felt like the biggest asshole in the entire world. She had told him, a long time ago, how her husband had treated her, how it had started with his dreams after coming back from the war. How he had attacked her in her sleep. He felt sick.

                “I’ll sleep outside. Or you can. Just… separate.” He said, and made a move to get up. Olivia reached out, grasping his arm.

                “I was apart from you for too long, Gage. I’m not gonna let you sleep somewhere else just because you have a dream or two.” She said, and her voice was soft and soothing, the rasp almost faded. He could see the outline of her face, her eyes boring into him in the dark.

                “Olivia…” He protested weakly. She pulled at him, forcing him back onto the bed.

                “If you want I’ll sleep with my knife under my pillow. But that could just end badly for either of us.” She said, making an attempt at a joke. He forced a laugh, still sitting. The rough material of the pants he was wearing rasped against his calves, and he focused on that, trying to forget the feeling of her neck beneath his hands…

                “Gage…?” She asked, seeing his struggle. He closed his good eye, but that only succeeded in giving him a vision to go along with the feeling.

                She suddenly had his hands in hers, pulling him down to lie next to her. He was rigid, still wanting to be away, to make her safe. She settled on her back and squirmed closer to him, before taking his hand and resting it on her stomach. He laid stock still, unsure of what to do.

                “I know it’s in there, you know.” She whispered, and he wasn’t sure if it was to be soothing, or to mask the roughness her voice still held. Still, he swallowed, allowing some of the tension in him to ease.

                “What do you mean?” He asked after a while, letting his hand be guided lightly over the slight swell of her. Still so small, if she wore a loose shirt, or her armor, you would never know it was there.

                “I can feel it move.” She said softly. “Like the flutter of little wings. Like a muscle twitch almost.”

                “Are you sure?” He asked stupidly, suddenly intensely focused on his hand, as if he could will himself to feel what she was feeling. She laughed lightly.

                “I’ve done this before, remember? I know what it feels like.” She answered. He remembered. Her first son, Shaun, had only been three weeks old when she lost him. She had him only three weeks before the bombs fell. She probably remembered how it felt quite vividly.

                “You’ll have to wait a while to feel it. But I just wanted you to know that I know it’s in there. I know it’s okay.” She said, her tone reassuring. Her hand still rested, warm and comforting, on top of his. He felt himself relax again, the knot of guilt slowly uncoiling in his chest. This was the fucking magic of Olivia. She knew exactly what to say, exactly what he needed to hear to quiet all the fucked up shit that went on in his head.

                Kids really did complicate shit, to an almost unbelievable degree. But he felt in that moment that he didn’t really care anymore, that he wouldn’t change a damned thing, even if he could.

                When he finally fell asleep again, he dreamed of the sound of her laugh.


	12. One Piece at a Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last one was a bit short, so here's a longer chapter! With something I hope you'll all enjoy. ;)

                It took him almost three fucking weeks to feel like himself again.

                It was too long, he told himself that every day. He pushed himself, trying to get back to how he was before this whole incident had happened as fast as he could, but he often just made it worse, straining muscles or working himself into a deep fatigue. Olivia kept telling him to take it easy, that not only had he been severely beaten, but also dehydrated and starved, that of course it would take a while for him to get better. But all he could see when he closed his eyes was the vision of Connor holding Olivia’s severed head. It made his skin crawl and his eyes burn.

                Olivia had fallen back into her own routine, often leaving him in the morning to take care of park business. Usually Mags met her at the bottom of the lift, and the two would head off together to do whatever it was they had on the agenda that day. Gage hated that he couldn’t go with her, be her second like she was accustomed to, but if he had to choose anyone to fill that spot while he was here, he was glad it was Mags.

                Winter was in full swing by now; covering the Wasteland in overcast skies and bringing frequent Rad-storms up from the Glowing Sea. Olivia told him that it used to snow before the bombs, coating everything in frozen white flakes. She called it beautiful. He was inclined to call it annoying.

                Still, the cold temperatures helped spur him into motion, and he found himself almost back to his normal self. He was in the outside part of the Fizztop apartment one afternoon, practicing knife fighting techniques on one of Colter’s old mannequins, when he heard the lift coming up. He sheathed the knife and wiped his brow, waiting for whoever it was to appear. 

                It was Olivia and Mags, though he had known it probably would be them. Olivia’s face was flushed from the cold and exertion, giving her pale skin a vibrant pink pop in the fading afternoon light. She smiled at the sight of him, though her reaction was dulled a bit by Mags’ presence. She was wearing her armor, with a dark leather jacket she had modded with ballistic weave over it, and a ratty scarf she had found while they were scavving an old department store the year before. She was clenching and unclenching her hands, trying to warm up from the cold.

               Mags stepped forward, and it was only then he noticed she was lugging something in one hand. She slammed it on the floor in front of him, and the two of them looked at him expectantly. It was his yellow cage armor, the chest piece he had lost when Connor had taken him.

               “Look what we found!” Olivia chimed in cheerfully. Gage’s heart began to race as he took in the armor, Olivia’s countenance, and the situation in general. He shifted uncomfortably.

               “You went out there?” He asked, somewhat harsher than he meant to. Olivia either didn’t notice his tone, or chose to ignore it.

               “No, I did.” Mags said, her sultry voice like ice. “Olivia told me and a few others to go up to the Interchange and see what we could figure out about where Connor and his crew may have gone. They didn’t leave much behind, but we did find that. Thought you might want it back.”

                “Oh, thanks.” He murmured, going to retrieve the armor. It was intact, if a little battered. He wondered what they had done with it after they knocked him out. Still, it felt nice to have it back; he wasn’t too keen on the idea of having to find new armor somewhere.

                “They’re long gone. Left no trace except a couple old spank mags and empty Guinness Stout bottles. Don’t think they meant to be there long though.” Mags said, more to Olivia than to him. Olivia nodded to her, but her eyes were fixed on Gage. He could feel her watching him.

                “No, I didn’t think so. He mentioned that it wasn’t his usual spot, or his entire crew. I think he was using it as a temporary base, so he could go out and watch the Transit center. That’s probably how he knew we were in the Commonwealth.” He explained. Mags furrowed her brow, thinking.

                “But why wouldn’t he have just taken-or for that matter killed- Flynn? It can’t have taken much thought to figure out who she was if he was watching the two of you.” She asked. Gage shrugged feeling suddenly very tired.

                “Fuck if I know. Could be anything with Connor. Maybe he was gonna, but when he figured out how to send the bloodbugs up to where we were staying, I came instead. Or maybe he saw me, someone he thought he killed 20 years ago, and all his plans went out the window. Maybe he thought he could convince me to help him. Fuck, it could be anything.” Gage said, and he ran a hand over his face, trying to think. It was fruitless, trying to discern what Connor’s plans were. The man hadn’t changed in 20 years; his plans were his and his alone.

                “Well, we’ll find him, wherever he is.” Olivia said, voice confident despite the lack of evidence. Gage looked around the room, eyeing the stack of crudely drawn maps he had been working on the past week, trying to nail down where the Raider could be. He sighed.

                “I think I know where we should go to figure it out.” He said, watching as Mags and Olivia’s heads both swiveled towards him. He gestured to the maps and shrugged.

                “There’s a crew of Raiders, out at a place called Easy City Downs, near the coast, north of the Airport a bit. They… they might know where he is.” He said uneasily. Olivia leaned against the bar, surveying him.

                “Why would they know? Who are they?” She asked. Gage shrugged as though adjusting his shirt.

                “They’re the crew, or at least what’s left of the crew, that Connor had me try to negotiate with all that time ago. Used to be big players in the Commonwealth, now they run some kind of robot race track, take bets and shit. If anyone has heard about Connor being back in play here, it’s them.” He said, eye flitting between Mags and Olivia.

                “And you’re sure they’ll know where he is?” Mags asked coolly. Gage tipped his head in an uncertain gesture.

                “Like I said, they’re the best bet to finding out. What Connor did to them 20 years ago… well let’s just say they weren’t the kind of crew to let that shit go so easily. If Connor’s around, I’d bet anything they’ll know where he’s at.” He said. Olivia nodded.

                “Well, sounds as good a place as any to start. Maybe we can hit up Diamond City and Goodneighbor on the way, see if any of my contacts have heard anything.” She said. Gage fought back a grimace at the mention of Diamond City. He wasn’t too fond of the place, though he had to admit, Olivia did have a few people that might know something there.

                “I’m gonna regroup up here for a while Mags, meet you later?” Olivia asked, rubbing her hands against her legs to warm them. Mags nodded and headed for the lift.

                “You know where to find me, Overboss.” She said, and then pressed the button and was gone.

                Gage watched for a minute, and then turned to Olivia, who still had a grin playing on her ruddy face. He cocked a brow at her, wondering what she could be in such a good mood over.

                “We got so much done today, Mags and I. We bolstered a couple walls, and I think we got the purifier working out in Safari Zone and-,”

                “This ain’t one of your settlements, Olivia!” He barked suddenly. He didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh, but he was on edge. All this talk of Raiders and shit that happened 20 years ago was eating at him, making him feel like he was spiraling, losing control of the little bit of safety he thought he had for her. He wanted to make her understand what kind of danger she was in, how dangerous this was gonna be for them.

                “Connor wants to kill you. You can’t just be gallivanting around this place, fixing shit up like it’s some settlement of yours. You need to be-,”

                 “Need to be what, Gage? Because if you had let me finish, I would have told you that we also fixed up the back pass so that no one besides a Nuka-World Raider can get anywhere near it. Do you know how difficult it is to hack into a turret’s identification friend or foe feature? Well, I did it, and now there’s about fifteen turrets and an armed guard at all times that will make Swiss cheese out of anyone that comes near it who isn’t supposed to.” She said, her voice rising. Gage compressed his lips, feeling his anger recede.

                 “Not to mention I also went down to the transit center and made sure that no one can work the monorail except me. Every movement that train makes goes through here.” She said, holding her arm with the Pip-boy up.

                 “Took a lot of convincing. Trade is gonna slow down while we’re gone, because I’m effectively locking the park down. Nisha won’t have any newcomers to the Gauntlet. I had to tell her I’d let her make…improvements… to it when we got back to get her on board.” Olivia said, paling slightly when she mentioned improving the Gauntlet.

                “So, no, Gage I haven’t been treating this like a settlement. I’ve been treating it seriously. While you’ve been up here getting better, I’ve been making sure this place is a fortress, so that when you’re finally able to, we can leave and I don’t have to worry about anyone getting in while I’m gone.” She said, the edge in her voice cutting through the air like a knife. Gage knew he had fucked up. He should have known she would be one step ahead of him, she always was.

                “I-uh, I’m-,” He stuttered, and she scoffed, her breath coming in a white puff in the biting air.

                “Here I was thinking I was supposed to be the emotional one.” She said sardonically. He gave her an exasperated look and stepped towards her, reaching a hand out.

                “Boss, you know I’m…-,”

                “An idiot?” She finished helpfully. He closed his good eye in agreement, but felt her take his hand. She was cold, and he folded his fingers around hers, trying to squeeze warmth into them.

                “We should leave tomorrow.” He said finally, watching her face for reaction. Her eye shot to his, narrowing in hesitancy.

                 “Are you sure you’re ready? I don’t wanna be fighting our way across the Commonwealth if you’re not 100%.” She said. He exhaled heavily.

                 “I’m fine, Olivia. I can’t be cooped up in here anymore. I need to find Connor. I need to kill him.” He answered. She frowned, creating deep lines on her brow.

                 “Maybe just take a few more days, just to make sure you’re-,” She started, but he cut her off by pulling her harshly towards him, enfolding her in his arms and kissing her brusquely. He reveled in the taste of her, her lips slightly cool on his warm ones. He deliberately deepened the kiss, trying to impress on her the only way he could that he was back to himself again. She stayed rigid against him for a moment, and then melted into the embrace, her mouth opening slightly to accept his probing tongue. Finally she pulled back, her face red, though now not from just the cold, he thought.

                 “Gage…” She breathed, staring into his eye. He could see her fighting with herself, wanting to pull away, to make sure he was safe and unharmed and fully better before letting him go further, but he also saw the very primal lust that hid just behind those grey eyes. He decided he would show her just how ready he was to get back out there. He would show her.

                 It wasn’t slow. He moved quickly before she could make up her mind, grasping her behind the thighs and pulling her up to carry her. She wrapped her legs around him, bending her head to meet his lips once more. He crossed quickly to the bed that sat on the platform, not caring that they were outside. They wouldn’t be cold for very long.

                 He tossed her onto the bed gently before kneeling on top of her, wrestling the layers of jacket and armor off of her. She helped, alternating between her own clothes and tearing at his shirt, a ratty long sleeved thing he had found somewhere for the winter months. It was tossed in the corner of the room and promptly forgotten.

                 He ran his hands up her arms, feeling the goosebumps that formed both from the intimate touch and from the cold. His breathing sped up, and he felt himself straining against the fabric of his canvas pants. Her hands were there, fumbling with the fly. He silently took a breath, both to steady himself and to prepare; he suddenly realized it had been quite a while since they had done this. There was a short moment while he tried to remember exactly when the last time had been, certainly before she had told him about the kid, but then Olivia’s mouth was on him, and he almost came right then and there.

                 “Fuck! Boss...,” He cried, grasping her head as she crouched before him. Her mouth was unbelievably warm, her tongue doing unspeakable things as she bobbed up and down. His breathing came ragged and harsh in his throat as the sensation rocked through him, threatening to end their encounter before it began. Fucking Christ she was good at this.

                He wasn’t sure how much more he could take when she pulled back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her grey eyes boring into him.

                “Sure you’re ready to get back out there, Gage?” She purred, deliberately dropping her voice into a sultry growl. He groaned and grasped her chin, pulling her face towards him so they were less than an inch apart. He could smell her sweat, light and acrid on the winter air. He held her for a moment, both to look at her, and to collect himself again. Finally he slammed his lips against hers, nipping at her bottom lip. He pushed her back onto the bed climbing over her and kicking his pants the remainder of the way off. He made short work of the rest of her clothes, taking a moment to marvel at her nakedness.

                “Gage…” She said huskily, and he snapped back to attention, running his hands down her waist and slipping them between her silky thighs, squeezing and kneading the soft skin, before bending to her. He bit his way up to her core, before languidly running his tongue up the slippery heat of her. She bucked against him and he gripped her thighs harder.

                “Fuck!” She cried as he clamped his mouth over her, tasting the slick, salty flavor, playing lazily with her clit with his tongue. She was writhing, grasping at his shoulders, at the ratty mattress, at anything she could reach. His cock twitched as he listened to her moans, coming loud and unbidden as he worked. He was fighting to control himself, wanting it to last as long as it could.

                Finally she grasped at him, pulling him away from her center and up to her face again. She was panting and pink, her lips swollen. It was taking everything he had not to fuck the life out of her right there. She reached down, her eyes not leaving his and grasped him in her small warm hands, guiding him to her.

                “Fuck me, Gage.” She said in a voice barely above a whisper. He hesitated only for a moment, and then plunged into her, almost losing himself immediately at the change of temperature. She was incredibly hot and tight, and he sheathed himself to the hilt, and buried his face in her shoulder, careful not to crush her, minding her slightly protruding abdomen. She had her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him as deep as she could. He could hear her breath, harsh and heavy in his ear.

                “Olivia…” He moaned, and then pulled out, almost all the way, before plunging back into her. She sighed, a sound so visceral that it made the heat pool in his belly, and he lost the modicum of control he had been holding on to. He pumped into her, his hands finding purchase in her flesh, pulling her as close as he could get, feeling the heat of her, yet trying not to crush her. She was gasping and calling his name, and he knew he was close, when he felt her go rigid against him, the wet heat of her core clenching around his cock as she came. That was all it took, and with two more frantic pumps, he spilled himself into her.

                “Still think I need more time?” He asked some time later as they lay, still joined, curled together on the mattress. The cold was beginning to creep back into the air between them, and the wrapped his arms tightly around her, trying to keep her close as long as he could. It had definitely been too long.

                 “Hmmm, I suppose we can leave tomorrow.” She said, her voice husky. She shivered lightly beneath him and he reluctantly drew away from her, helping her to find her own clothes before searching for his. He watched her as he pulled his pants on watching for any subtle signs that he had gone too rough, but she seemed fine, happy even.

                “But first we’ll see how you do with a trip to the Marketplace. We need to stock up supplies before we head out.” She said as she pulled on her jacket. She ran a hand through her hair, fixing the waves that now fell to her ears. She had told him that pregnancy made her hair grow like crazy, and now he could see that she hadn’t been lying.

                “Fine with me. Then we’ll leave at first light.” He said. She nodded and followed him to the lift, standing close as they descended into the park.


	13. On the Road Again

                In the event, they left about mid-morning. He almost put it off til the next day (Olivia had a bout with morning sickness; something she had mostly managed to avoid) but after a couple visits to the toilet and some reassurance from her, they headed out.

                They decided they would travel through the day to make it to Diamond City, hopefully before the night came on too dark. Gage kept casting wary eyes to the overcast sky; they would be cutting it very close. They moved quickly, heading north out of the transit station so they would be able to cut through Cambridge and come into the ruins of Boston closer to the city than if they cut straight east.

                “Who do you know in Diamond City that might know anything about a bunch of Raiders?” Gage asked as they crossed some overgrown train tracks. Olivia shrugged next to him, picking her steps carefully. They both had their weapons out, though they held them casually. His eye was flitting between the ground and their surroundings, wary of being snuck up on.

                “Oh Piper mostly. She’s a reporter, so if there’s anything exciting happening, she usually knows about it. It’s a hit or miss thing though, typically she deals with more… political… topics than Raiders.” Olivia answered, hopping over a crumbling wooden beam.

                “Plus, I figure it gives me an excuse to stop in on Dr. Sun. See if everything is okay, y’know.” She said quickly. Gage shot her a glance.

                “Is there a reason it wouldn’t be okay?” He asked, trying to keep his voice level. She chuckled lightly.

                “No, Gage, but I’d just like to know. You know, before the war there were doctors specifically for this kind of thing. And you had appointments all the time to check on them.” She explained. He tried to envision it, her going to an actual hospital that wasn’t a breeding ground for ghouls or super mutants. He gave up quickly, though.

                “Well as long as we don’t have to stay too long. Diamond City makes my skin crawl, too many buildings and people crammed in.” He said.

                “You mean it doesn’t bring you back to your Nuka-Town days? Before I cleared the parks for you?” She ribbed, making the corners of his mouth twitch up in a smile.

                He was about to respond when a bloodcurdling scream came from somewhere to the right of them. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he involuntarily gripped his gun tighter. Olivia stopped, turning towards the noise, when it came again.

                “Someone help please!” The cry came. Gage was trying to pinpoint the location when Olivia bolted from beside him, tearing off in the direction the sound came from. Gage grabbed futilely at her jacket, then took off after her.

                “Olivia, goddammit stop!” He hissed, but she was racing ahead of him, her weapon clutched in both hands. Visions of the clearing shot through Gage’s head and he put on speed, remembering the trick he had fallen for. The scream came again, and they were almost on top of it. Gage could see Olivia scrambling up the side of a rocky hill. The cry was coming from the other side of it.

                “Olivia stop!” Gage roared, but she was at the top now. He was coming up behind her, one hand on his rifle, the other helping steady him as he climbed. He was breathing heavily, the air misting out white in front of him. Then the shots started.

                He could tell it was from Olivia’s shotgun; one, and then two, then three rounds fired before he cleared the top of the hill and could see the scene before him.

                “Fuck me.” He growled, and then took aim with his rifle at the hulking Deathclaw that was rounding on Olivia now. He quickly surveyed the area and saw that the screams had come from a couple of settlers who were now cowering against some rocks at the bottom of the hill. Olivia was holding her stance, firing round after round from the combat shotgun into the tough hide of the beast.

                 He took aim and began shooting, hitting his mark with ease. The thing was fucking huge. It had regained its bearing and lifted its massive head into the air, letting out an ear-splitting roar. Gage’s heart was hammering in his chest as he sighted on the beasts head, trying to take out its eyes. Olivia was stepping back slowly, weapon still raised, still loosing rounds into the beast.

                One of his shots hit its mark and the Deathclaw screamed, a sound that was eerily similar to the human screams they had heard moments before. Olivia took this opportunity to move to the beast’s blind side. She was reloading quickly, but Gage’s attention was mostly held by the Deathclaw, watching as his shots hit their target, only for most of them to glance off. Olivia got her weapon back up and began shooting again, giving Gage a chance to move down the hill and get closer. The Deathclaw was in a rage now, shaking its head violently from side to side, roaring in pain and anger. Olivia stepped closer to the beast, using the fact that it couldn’t see to her advantage. Gage pulled his rifle down to reload and Olivia took another step, and then raised her hand to her mouth.

                “Hey, over here fucker!” She yelled, making the Deathclaw whirl its head, its gaping mouth only a foot or so away from Olivia. Gage’s fingers moved like lighting to snap the magazine in place and whip the gun back into the crook of his shoulder, right as Olivia swung her shotgun out so that the barrel sat only an inch or so from the Deathclaw’s mouth, and then fired.

                The buckshot tore through the soft flesh of the inside of the Deathclaw’s mouth, ripping its head apart from the inside. There was a shower of red blood and chunks of flesh as the creatures head became confetti, and the hulking body stood disconcertingly for a moment, before falling with a heft that shook the ground.

                Olivia was checking on the settlers when he reached her. She was murmuring softly to them, making sure they were alright. He vaguely heard they were on the way to one of the Minutemen’s settlements (Greygarden, he thought he heard), when they had run afoul of the Deathclaw. Olivia assured them they were close, and with another round of thanks, they were on their way. As soon as they were out of earshot, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close, staring into her blood spattered face.

                “Olivia, didn’t you hear me telling you to stop? What if it had been a trap? This is the exact fucking way Connor got me, you know that. What the fuck were you thinking?” He hissed, still hyped up from the adrenaline of the fight. Olivia pulled gently from his grasp, her eyes meeting his defiantly.

                “If I hadn’t gone, those people might be dead, Gage.” She said softly. He shook his head.

                “And if it had been a trap then you might be dead, Boss. Don’t you get it?” He said, his voice losing some of the harshness.

                “Yeah, Gage, I get it. But I can’t stop helping people just because there might be some guy out there who wants me dead! Fuck, Gage, people have been trying to kill me since I stepped out of that fucking vault. This isn’t anything new!” She said, the color rising in her cheeks. Gage scoffed, rubbing a hand over his face in exasperation.

                “Connor ain’t some wasteland idiot with a pipe pistol, Olivia! Plus, it ain’t just you you gotta think about now, is it?” He said, with a slight gesture to her abdomen. She quieted, her throat bobbing in a harsh swallow.

                “I ain’t asking you to stop helping people, Olivia. I know that would be like asking a feral to sit down and have a civil conversation with you; it ain’t gonna happen. But I am asking you to listen to me. To be more careful. I know most of the Raiders you’ve come across so far couldn’t plot their way out of a paper bag, but Connor didn’t survive 20 years in the Wasteland by being a fucking idiot.” He explained. Olivia’s shoulders slumped and her eyes shifted towards the ground.

                “You’re right.” She said quietly. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

                “Well, think you could write that down somewhere and sign it? Ain’t often I hear you say that to me.” He said, letting a light tone back into his voice. She playfully cuffed him on the arm.

                “Shut up, Gage. Let’s just get moving again, okay? Gonna need to put another notch in my stock.” She said, referring to the four red lines that adorned the stock of her shotgun. One for every Deathclaw they had killed since they started running together. He smiled at her as they started walking again.

                “That was a nice move, getting it to swing its mouth towards you.” He said. She smiled at him, trying to wipe the Deathclaw’s blood off her face before it dried completely. She was mostly succeeding in smearing it around.

                “Couldn’t have done it without you.” She said, reaching around to pull a ratty towel from the bag she carried. She continued trying to clean her face.

                “That’s what I’m here for Boss.” He said, then took the towel from her hands and started working on her face.


	14. Mama Tried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope everyone is still enjoying Olivia and Gage's adventures! Feel free to leave comments if you like it or have any critiques. This chapter has a little more back story on both of them, and I kinda put my own spin on Gage's past. All just my own headcanons. Enjoy!

                 They walked for another couple hours with nothing more than the occasional Radstag crossing their path.  When they finally came to the entrance of Diamond City, the last rays of light were beginning to fade on the horizon. The huge floodlights that surrounded the city were flickering to life, casting an eerie glow on the place. The city was beginning to quiet down, but there were still people flitting here and there.

                 Gage never liked Diamond City. It was crowded and smelled just the tiniest bit…off. He especially didn’t like the delineation between the “Upper stands” people and the rest of the city. Overall, he usually tended to avoid the city if he could. He would much rather have slept somewhere in the ruins or even pushed on to Goodneighbor if it weren’t for Olivia.

                “C’mon, I have a place here we can sleep for tonight, then we can visit Piper in the morning.” Olivia said, leading him past stalls where vendors were beginning to pack up for the night. A couple of people sat at a stand in the middle of the marketplace, eating noodles served by an old Protectron model. He followed her to a door in an out of the way alcove. She dug around in her bag for a bit before taking out a ring of keys.

                “But if she doesn’t know anything, we can go, right?” He asked as she found the right key, placing it in the rusted lock and giving it a violent twist before the door popped open.

                “Yes, Gage, we can.” She said, and he could hear the mild exasperation in her voice. She flicked a switch on the wall and a couple of lights flickered to life overhead, illuminating the room around them. It was sparsely decorated, with not much other than a workbench, an old sofa, and a bed. It was markedly warmer inside, and he wondered how she managed that. He watched as she tossed her pack down and pulled her boots off, tossing them with a thud into the corner. He followed suit, removing his armor as well, still examining the room they were in.

                “It’s the only place that’s really _mine_.” She said, catching his gaze. He turned to face her. She had a small smile on her face as she looked around the room.

                “I mean, yeah, there’s people right outside and everything, but I’m not responsible for them. This place is the only place I have where it’s just me I have to worry about.” She explained.

                “You ain’t responsible for anyone out there anyways, Olivia.” He said, knowing it would fall on deaf ears. She laughed quietly and shrugged.

                “Just because you say it, doesn’t mean it’s true.” She retorted.

                “You thinkin’ like that is liable to get you, or me, killed you know. Could have today.” He said, remembering the Deathclaw. She narrowed her eyes at him.

                “Are we really gonna go through this again? This is what I do, Gage. I can’t explain why… I just have to help people, if I can.” She said, her eyes finding a spot on the floor and focusing on it intently. He sighed.

                “Yeah, Boss. I know.” He said, resigned. She laid her hand on his arm, small and warm. It was quiet for a while, the two of them leaning against each other on the bed, lost in their own thoughts. There were so many things going through his head, worrying about Connor, about finding and killing the Raider. Worrying about Olivia and the baby. Worrying about Nuka-World and how it was running in their absence.

                “We’ll take it one thing at a time, Gage.” Came Olivia’s soft whisper from beside him. He started and looked down at her, finding her watching him. He knew his thoughts must be plainly visible on his face. Olivia could always seem to read what he was thinking.

                “Yeah well that’s hard to do when it seems like there’s a hundred things piling up at once. Can’t we just go back to worrying about what fucked up thing we were gonna clear out of one of the parks again?” He asked, trying to insert a light tone into his voice. She laughed humorlessly.

                “Don’t I wish.” She said, and leaned her head against his shoulder. He sighed, letting some of the tension fall out of him. The next couple days were gonna be rough. But he was resolved to try to enjoy this moment, just the two of them, without any settlers or Raiders that might come knocking with some request or need.

                “Do you remember your parents?” Olivia asked out of the blue. He raised his brows, unsure of how to answer.

                “Uh, I guess. Why?” He asked. She shrugged next to him and moved to lie down. He stayed sitting, watching her, his hand going to rest on her thigh.

                “Just wondering. You only ever told me that you left them, that they meant well, but...,” She trailed off, watching him with those grey eyes. He half shrugged, not entirely sure what she was getting at.

                “Yeah, I mean we lived on some shit-hole farm in the middle of nowhere. They were good enough parents, I guess, kept us fed and clothed and shit.” He answered. Her eyes narrowed.

                “Us? You have siblings?” She asked. He closed his good eye and sighed. It had been a very long time since he had thought of his family, if that’s what you could call people that you hadn’t seen in somewhere close to 25 years.

                “Yeah, an older brother and a younger sister. Could have more I guess, never kept up with them after I left.” He said quietly.

                “What were they like?” She asked, shifting up onto an elbow to look at him. He let his eye meet hers, trying to discern why she was asking all these questions, but he couldn’t deny her answers. He couldn’t really deny Olivia anything, he thought.

                “My older brother left before I did. Went out west, to the Hub I think. Said he was gonna be some big shot caravaner or some shit. Could be dead for all I know.” He said, remembering the day he had left. Gage had been somewhere around 10, his brother maybe 17. He remembered his father arguing with him a lot, wondering who would help with the farm when he was gone. Gage remembered leaving, wandering the wastes to clear his mind, taking a small BB gun with him and shooting at molerats. When he came back, his brother and all his things were gone.

                “My sister was small, sickly. She was always trying to follow me when I did shit, but she could never keep up. My mom was always getting on to me about watching out for her, but I didn’t think that was my job, y’know?” He said. The only feeling he still had when he remembered his sister was annoyance. She had always been some kind of shadow to him, some responsibility he didn’t ask for.

                “I remember her face when I left, like I hurt her or something. She was the only one I told, I snuck out when my parents were sleeping, but my sister caught me. She asked me where I was going, and I told her I was leaving to figure my own shit out, I couldn’t watch my parents keep rolling over for every fucking asshole that wanted what they worked so hard for.” He said. Olivia’s attention was rapt on him, and he shifted uncomfortably. He hadn’t ever told anyone about his family, and it made him feel very strange to be doing it now.

                “She was kinda like you, I guess. Told me that I was being dumb, that it wasn’t that bad where we were. She was stubborn as hell, tried to stop me by getting in my way, threatening to call my parents.” He remembered her face, pale and greyish in the moonlight outside their shack, her fists clenched at her sides.

                “I just pushed past her and didn’t look back.” He finished. He was staring at the wall now, but he could feel Olivia’s eyes boring holes into him. He knew what she was thinking, without even having to look at her.

                “What about you? You’ve never mentioned your family before.” He said, trying to get the focus off of him. Olivia lay back down, folding her arms behind her head. He could see the swell of her stomach as she stretched. It would soon be too large to hide, he thought.

                “My parents were divorced. I lived with my dad. He was busy a lot, but my mom couldn’t really figure her own shit out enough to keep us living with her.” She said. He nodded, listening.

                “I had a sister. She was younger, but only by a year. When I went off to school to be a lawyer, she stayed at home, working odd jobs and stuff. We were pretty close, and I used to go back on school holidays and visit.” She said, her eyes unfocused on the ceiling, remembering. Gage absently ran his hand along her calf, tracing the cut of her muscle.

                “Then I graduated, joined the military. When I married Nate…,” her voice got quiet, and Gage suddenly regretted asking her about her past. He didn’t like bringing up those memories for her, the bad ones.

                “Well, let’s just say my sister told me I was making a mistake. But I didn’t listen. She stopped talking to me for a while. Then Shaun came. She was so excited about being an aunt that it was like none of it had mattered, and she came out to see us, to meet Shaun.” She said, a small, haunting smile flitting across her face. Gage was quiet.

                “When she came, she could see how Nate treated me, I guess. I think it was obvious to everyone except me. She told me to leave with her, to come back home. But I told her no. I told her I had to stay…” She trailed off, and Gage could see tears bright in her eyes.

                “I guess if I had gone I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t have been in the Vault, wouldn’t have been frozen. Sometimes I wonder if that would have been better.” She whispered the last sentence, as though speaking to herself.

                “Olivia…” Gage said, sliding closer to her on the bed. She shook her head, smiling at him as though waking from a trance. She grasped his hand with hers.

                “I know it’s been 200 years, but sometimes I wonder if they made it to shelter somewhere, if my family survived the bombs. Then I wonder what life would have been like for them after that, and think it’s probably better if they didn’t.” Her voice cracked, sending an involuntary shiver through him. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. He was not good with the feelings shit, he never had been.

                “But I guess there’s no use in speculating now, is there? And we have lots of shit to do tomorrow, so we better get some rest. I’m exhausted.” She said, effectively ending the conversation. On some level, he thought she knew how uncomfortable he was, hearing about her life before the bombs. This was one of the few times he was glad she could read him so easily.

                “Yeah, sounds like a good plan.” He said, and stretched. He slid next to her on the bed, opting to keep his clothes on as he often did when sleeping in an unfamiliar place. He gathered her up close to him, nestling her back against his chest, breathing in the dusty, road-worn scent of her. It calmed him, knowing she was near and safe.

                He was beginning to drift off, the fatigue of the day finally hitting him full force, when he felt her stir beside him. She brought her hand up to rest on his arm and squeezed lightly, as though reassuring herself he was there with her.

                “Despite everything, I’m glad I’m here.” She whispered, so soft in the quiet of the evening that he almost wasn’t even sure she had spoken aloud.

                “I’m glad too.” He whispered back, and meant it.

 

 


	15. Place to Fall Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's a bit of a long chapter, but it's a lot of talking and emotions and such. I promise more action is coming very soon! Sometimes I feel like I write too much dialogue and that you guys will get bored, I hope you'll stick around through it all though!

                Publick Occurrences was a shabby building by the entrance to the place. They must have walked right by it when they came into Diamond City, but in his irritation at being back in this hell-hole, he didn’t notice, even with the large green sign that adorned the roof. There was a small girl outside, standing on an old crate, doggedly handing out sheets of paper to passersby. Olivia greeted her as “Nat”, and the girl grinned, handing Olivia a copy “on the house”. Olivia took it graciously, and with a terse skim, placed the paper in her bag, before pushing inside the building.

                “Well damn Blue! It’s been a while!” A voice came as they entered. A woman (he assumed Piper) came out from the shadows of a large machine, wiping grime off her hands with scrap of cloth. Olivia’s face broke into a grin, and she went to hug the woman.

                “How’s the newspaper business, Pipes?” Olivia asked as they parted. Piper shrugged, pulling sheepishly at the cap she wore.

                “Ah, you know Blue, no respect for the press. I’m trying to write about the real issues and people just wanna keep living with their heads in their asses.” She answered animatedly. It was at this point Piper seemed to notice Gage, and she stiffened, her eyes going from him back to Olivia rapidly.

                “So, you gonna introduce me?” She said, her voice suddenly losing a little bit of its bright fervor. Olivia rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, and then flung it out towards him.

                “Pipes this is Gage. He’s… a friend of mine.” She said, and he caught her eye for a second before it flitted away.

                “So it’s true then? You’re running with a Raider?” Piper asked, and Gage heard no real malice in the question, just curiosity. The woman’s journalistic instinct, he thought.

                “It’s complicated, Piper, but yeah.” Olivia answered. Piper nodded slowly, as though quashing the myriad of question she suddenly had, then turned her gaze fully to Olivia.

                “So that means what they say about you and that abandoned amusement park is also true? You’re the leader of a bunch of Raiders now?” Piper asked, and again, Gage didn’t think there was any judgement in her question. This was just how she gathered her information.

                “I mean, it’s _really_ complicated, Piper. Yeah, I’m the Overboss there, but it’s…mutually beneficial for them and the Commonwealth that I’m there.  You can ask me all about it some other time, okay? Even write something up if you wanna.” Olivia answered. Gage could hear the anxiety in her voice and shifted closer to her.

                “Alright Blue, I’ll hold you to that.” Piper said, smoothing the front of her red leather jacket. She gestured at some couches, but Olivia shook her head.

                “We’ve just got some quick questions for you, wanted to see if you’ve heard anything.” Olivia said. This piqued the writer’s interest and she cocked a brow.

                “Well I’ll give you what I got. What do you need to know?” Piper answered. Olivia looked between the woman and Gage before speaking.

                “We’re looking for information on a Raider. Well, a crew of Raiders, but one in particular. Goes by The Harvester, but his real name is Connor.” Olivia explained. Piper drummed her fingers on her chin in thought for a moment.

                “The crew will be large, probably causing a bit of trouble wherever they’re holed up.” Gage added, watching Piper’s eyes shoot to him as he spoke.

                “Well, I can’t say as _I’ve_ heard anything in that vein lately. Though if you’re looking for Raiders I’d say that _you guys_ would be where to start for that information.” She said. Gage tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. He knew it would be too easy for the first person they spoke with to know anything.

                “Yeah, well this guy… he isn’t exactly in our camp, if you know what I mean.” Gage heard Olivia say to Piper.

                “Well damn Blue, I wish I had more to give you. You tried Hancock yet? He might know something, especially with the characters that blow through Goodneighbor.” Piper said. Olivia shook her head.

                “Nah, we’re headed there next. Thanks though, Pipes. Been good seeing you.” Olivia said, her voice dropping a bit. Gage watched as Piper’s gaze skimmed from Olivia to him, then rested back on Olivia, her face softening.

                “Hey, no worries. Don’t be a stranger now; you always give me the best stories.” The woman said. Olivia laughed, though it sounded a tad forced.

                “Yeah well most of the stories I’ve got have me almost getting killed. We’ll be back around though.” Olivia said, and with a quick hug with the journalist, they were heading back out into the bustling marketplace.

 

 

                “Why does she call you ‘Blue’?” Gage asked as they stepped off the porch of the building and back onto the rickety wooden platforms that formed a path. Olivia pulled her jacket more tightly around her, shivering slightly at the change in temperature.

                “Well, when I met Piper I had just recently stumbled out of a vault. I still wore the jumpsuit they gave us because I hadn’t found anything else. I guess the nickname just stuck.” She answered. He nodded, trying to picture Olivia, new to this world she suddenly found herself in, wandering around in the bright blue suit of a vault-dweller.

                “I see.” He answered, not wanting to press further. She had lost a lot after just waking up 200 years out of her own time. He didn’t like making her relive it. He never really saw the point in dwelling on the past much anyways.

                “I’m gonna stop in here for a minute. You don’t have to stay; you can go resupply or whatever.” Olivia suddenly said, rather sheepishly. He looked up to see they were standing outside a dingy shack that read “Mega Surgery Center”. There was an angry looking man in a white coat standing outside checking over some paperwork. Gage squared his shoulders, meeting Olivia’s eye.

                “No. I’ll stay.” He said gruffly. Olivia’s eyes widened slightly, but then she shrugged, turning to approach the man outside the building. Gage followed, but kept his distance, leaning against a wooden pole that held up the shabby roof.

                “Dr. Sun.” Olivia said to the man, who turned to her. His manner was quick, as though he was in a hurry to get through this interaction. As he saw her face, however, his body relaxed, and his face softened.

                “Oh, Olivia, hello. How are you today?” He asked mechanically. Olivia shrugged, her face taking on the genial look it got when she spoke to her more easily startled settlers.

                “Eh, can’t complain I suppose. Everything okay here?” She asked. Gage scoffed inwardly at the strange banter. This was why he didn’t deal with people well. He would have just as soon barged in and demanded what he wanted, rather than dance around it like this.

                “Yes, back to relative normalcy since… well since Crocker… left. What can I do for you today?” The doctor asked, his voice steadying. Olivia smiled shyly and glanced back at Gage.

                “Well I was just wondering, I mean you know I came here before a while ago about-,” She gestured towards her abdomen, fingers pointing. “-about this?” The doctor nodded emphatically, catching her meaning and all at once realizing why she was there. He pulled some papers from his desk, shuffling them until he found what he was looking for.

                “Yes, you’re one of the few pregnant women I’ve seen. Like I told you before, there’s not much I can tell you. I don’t have the equipment here as say maybe, a vault or the Brotherhood of Steel would have.” He said, reading off the paper he had pulled from the stack. Olivia nodded.

                “I know. Whatever you can tell me is fine. I thought a quick check up would be a good idea.” She said quietly. The doctor nodded, placing the papers haphazardly on the desk again.  Gage watched as the doctor spoke with Olivia, voices not whispers, but hushed. Olivia removed her jacket, vigorously rubbing her hands over her biceps to keep warm. It was sunny out today, but the air still held the bite of winter.

                “So you’re what, about 15 weeks now?” The doctor asked as he moved closer to her. Olivia glanced over her shoulder at Gage, as though checking if he were still there, and then looked back.

                “Uh, 18 I think.” She said. Doctor Sun nodded. His hands went to her stomach, pressing slightly here and there. Gage shifted his weight, unsure how he should feel. He watched intently.

                “You seem small for 18 weeks. Are you eating enough?” The doctor asked. Olivia smiled nervously.

                “Does anyone eat enough out here?” She answered. The doctor reached into a drawer in the desk, pulling out a ratty tape measure. With a deft hand he placed the tape over her stomach, pulling one end down past her hips, while stretching the other one over the bump of her.  Without her jacket and armor on, he could see she was getting larger. The doctor frowned slightly before taking the tape away and replacing it in the drawer.

                “Well I know what you’re saying, but I’d suggest at least trying to eat a bit more. I have you measuring at around 14 or 15 weeks, though this way isn’t always very accurate.” He said. Gage kept watching as the doctor pressed his hands against her some more, then, seemingly satisfied, gestured for her to put her jacket back on. She did so quickly, wrapping it more tightly around herself.

                “It’s still a bit early for me to hear the heartbeat with the basic tools I have. If you can come back in a couple weeks I can try, just to see if everything is lining up alright. Other than that, how are you feeling?” He asked, taking his papers up again and tapping the edges to straighten them. Another glance from Olivia.

                “I’m a little stressed I guess. But I feel alright most of the time. Not so tired anymore.” She answered. Gage stifled a scoff at her answer of “a little stressed”. He knew she was more than “a little” stressed. Somewhere beside him an eyebot floated by, playing some upbeat song. The tune carried, even as it passed him.

                “Well as far as I can tell-and that’s not much-everything seems to be in order. Try to eat between five and six small meals a day, and stay hydrated. I know it’s rough out there, but it’s important to stay healthy.” The doctor said, with forced sincerity. Gage could tell the man’s bedside manner was severely lacking, but he seemed to be trying for Olivia’s sake. Olivia nodded and said her final goodbyes, telling the doctor she would try to swing back in a few weeks, if she got the chance. He followed her into the market.

                They dodged around merchants and customers, finally coming to door of her small apartment. She pushed inside and he followed, shutting the door behind him. She began gathering things from the workbench, rearranging the contents of her bag as she did so. He watched her for a moment before speaking.

                “He seemed…nice.” Gage said, letting the sarcasm drip into his voice. Olivia glanced at him, then back to what she was doing.

                “I accidentally uncovered something pretty fucked up when I was investigating a case for Nick. His partner had a tendency to botch facial reconstructions and things, and then kill people to cover it up.” She explained. He raised his brows in surprise.

                “Doctor Sun was pretty grateful for it. He doesn’t really like people, if you couldn’t tell. But he makes an exception for me now.” She said through a small laugh. He stepped towards her, and she looked up at him.

                “Why didn’t you tell me you needed to eat more, Olivia?” He asked, deciding not to skirt the issue. She cocked a brow, straightening.

                “It’s not a big deal. I’m fine, we’re fine. We’ve been dealing with a lot, y’know.” She said. He shook his head, frowning.

                “It is a big deal, Olivia.” Her lips compressed.

                “He said it probably isn’t very accurate anyways, Gage. I’ve done this before, remember? I know when I have to worry.” She said curtly. He reached a hand out, stopping her from moving. She started to pull back, but changed her mind.

                “I know this is all… a lot… to deal with. But you gotta let me in, let me help. If we gotta take a couple days here-,” He started. She pulled away then, going back to her bag.

                “Gage, I’m okay. I’ll eat more, I promise. It’s not like I’m not eating anything, I just could be eating more, okay? We can keep going. We need to keep going.” She said. Gage sighed, knowing she was being stubborn, but not knowing how to change her mind. He had never been the caring type before, and now, finding that he did care… well it was a difficult thing to adjust to.

                “Connor ain’t gonna attack you in the middle of Diamond City. If we gotta stay here for some time-,”

                “We don’t have to stay, Gage just leave it alone!” She snapped. He drew back a bit, taking her in. She stood there, her hands balled into fists at her sides. He crossed his arms over his chest, not knowing what else to do.

                “Wanna tell me what’s going on, Boss?” He said calmly, surprising himself.  His heart was beating hard in his chest, and he realized he was nervous. Unsure of what she was thinking, unsure of what was wrong. It sat badly with him.

                “It’s nothing, Gage. Don’t worry about it, let’s just get moving. If we leave now we can make it to Goodneighbor before nightfall. I know you don’t wanna be here longer than-,”

                “I already told you, I’ll suck it up if we gotta stay, Olivia, but that ain’t what I’m asking. Something is eating at you. You wanna go ahead and tell me what it is?” He asked. He could see her eyes shining with tears, but she was fighting very hard not to let them fall. She was silent. He could see indecision fighting over the features of her face and he steeled himself.

                “Olivia. If you didn’t want this kid-,” He started, but she cut him off with a jerk of her head. Her eyes met his fully now.

                “No, Gage that’s not it. It’s just…,” She wiped a hand under her nose. He was vibrating with tension now, unsure of what to say.

                “What if it happens again?” She finally whispered. He took a step forward to hear her better.

                “What? What if what happens?” He asked. She shook her head slowly.

                “Everything. What if I lose it? What if I lose both of you? What if I end up alone again?” She said, the words spilling out quickly, slurred with emotion. Tears were falling freely down her cheeks now. Gage took a deep breath.

                “You won’t, I won’t let that happen, Olivia.” He said, feeling even as he spoke the futility of his words. He knew as well as anyone there were no guarantees in the Wasteland.

                “You can’t promise that, Gage! It happened before. I never thought what happened to me could happen to anyone, but it did! What if Connor gets to you? What if this baby gets taken too? What if all of this is for nothing? I can’t be that alone again, Gage. I can’t. That time before I met you, before I went to Nuka-World, it was the worst, most empty feeling I had ever had. I won’t feel like that again!” She cried, gesturing around her wildly. Gage grabbed one of her flailing arms, pulling her to him, glad he had forgone his armor for a heavy jacket today. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He held her against him, one hand on the small of her back, the other caressing her neck lightly.

                “Going to see Doctor Sun, having him just reassure me that it was growing and fairly normal… it just makes it all so real. I don’t know how I’m gonna do this. All I keep thinking about is how awful it went before. How nothing went right. I don’t know if I can do it.” She said finally, hiccupping slightly. Gage felt slightly uncomfortable, not being used to such abrupt shows of emotion. He had heard pregnancy could make emotions run high, but Olivia had been fairly good at controlling them so far. He cleared his throat, trying to think what to say next.

                “Bos- Olivia. I can’t tell you everything is gonna go perfectly and we’re gonna be some fucking cute little family on some farm somewhere with a Brahmin and shit.” He started, and was relieved to hear her let out a choked laugh. He pressed on, the words coming to him as he spoke.

                “But I can tell you I ain’t gonna let you be alone again. If that means I gotta kill Connor with my bare hands, then I will.” He continued, moving his hand to run through the dark waves of her hair. She stayed leaned against him, and he bent and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head.

                “And you ain’t gonna do _this_ alone.” He said, letting his other hand brush against her stomach. She relaxed some more.

                “I dunno how my ass can help, but I will. You just gotta let me know what you need.” He finished. She sniffed and pulled back to look up at him.

                “I’m sorry, Gage. I just… I didn’t get to be a mom for very long before everything… happened. Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about all of this.” She explained. He nodded, squeezing her hand as she backed up a pace.

                “Ain’t gotta apologize, Boss. A heads up next time you’re gonna freak out would be nice though.” He joked. She let a smile slide across her face.

                “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just like to write Gage dealing with emotions, I dunno. I'm a sucker for that. Haha. Hope you liked this chapter!


	16. Better Get to Livin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter to make up for me taking so long to update! Hope you all are still sticking around, even though I'm the worst, haha. More to come soon! I promise!

                In the end, she let him convince her to stay in the city one more day. They spent it relaxing in her little home, him plying her with all the food he could afford, though she told him she could never eat that much, pregnant or not. It was a good day, despite them still being in Diamond City, and he savored it, the small downtime they had where nothing was needed from either of them. He could almost forget the task they were set out on.

                Almost.

                The next day they headed out a dawn, leaving just as the stalls in the market were beginning to open. The air was frosty, sending their breath up in white puffs as they walked through the ruins, making their way towards Goodneighbor.

                The ruins were quiet as they walked, but they kept alert, knowing that at any moment anything could pop out from one of the dilapidated buildings that lined the streets. The air was thick with the cold and their movements seemed muffled as they turned the corner from the Commons (where Olivia regaled him with the tale of her defeat of the Behemoth that lived there with the help of a Railroad sniper named Deacon), and set onto the road that led north towards the small town. He was looking forward to getting warm again, even if it meant dealing with the denizens of Goodneighbor, when he caught a small red glint from under a car Olivia was approaching.

                “Olivia stop moving.” He barked, and she did, immediately alert for danger. She looked back at him and he gestured to what he had seen, the frag mine just a few feet away from her, ready to blow the old shell of the car sky high, taking anyone around it with it.

                “See any more?” She asked, gingerly walking backwards towards him. He was scanning the area when the first bullet whizzed by his head.

                “Aw, shit.” He said, just as the street became a warzone. He barely had time to grab Olivia’s arm and hurl them behind the burnt out shell of a bus when one of the bullets tripped the mine, sending an ear shattering explosion rocketing through the air around them. His head was on a swivel as concrete and debris rained down around them, trying to see who they were under attack from.

                Olivia was next to him, and he thought she was trying to speak, but his ears were ringing from the sound of the explosion, and all he could make out was the muffled cadence of her voice. She was peeking out from behind the bus, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was shooting. Gage hiked his rifle up and began sighting in windows, cursing when he saw nothing but emptiness.

                “There!” He finally heard a clear word from her, and he swung the barrel of his gun towards where she pointed, finger squeezing the trigger even as he did so. His shot hit the mark, a Raider, running between cover on the second story of a ruined building. He popped the shell out and took aim again, watching for any sign of movement. Bullets were still flying occasionally as the Raiders took random potshots at them.

                “Where are they?” Olivia was asking, her hand searching frantically in her bag for something as he continued to search for the source of the gunfire. He saw the gleam of a gun barrel in another window and took the shot, satisfied when he saw the glint disappear violently. He was beginning to notice their tactic, only on the top floors of the buildings, and only in the two on the opposite sides of the street beside them, effectively surrounding them. Olivia finally found what she was looking for and held it out. A grenade.

                “Can you get it in that window there?” He asked over the din, gesturing to the second story window on their left. She would have to duck from behind the bus to lob the thing, but he would cover her.

                “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” She said, and with a nod the two moved seamlessly out of the protection of the bus. He fired wildly, trying to distract the Raiders from shooting as she drew her arm back, pulling the pin and gracefully tossing the bomb in a high arc. He watched as it sailed straight through the window, blowing up almost right as it entered.

                “Fuck yeah!” She whooped, the color high in her cheeks. The gunfire was slowing now; they must have been making a dent in them. They were ducking back behind the bus when he heard the shot, and felt the searing hot pain of the bullet driving into the flesh of his forearm. He jerked, knocking Olivia slightly as they fell back into the relative safety of their cover.

                “Shit, shit.” He said, trying to look at his arm but also trying to keep his head about the fight that was still happening around them. Olivia had already started pulling out a stimpak, but he stopped her.

                “It’s fine, let’s clear these fuckers out first.” He growled, trying not to look at the blood that seeped from his arm. The gunfire was now coming only from the right, and only in intermittent spurts. He thought there might only be two or three of them left. Olivia looked at him and nodded to the right, and then before he could say anything, she poked her head out from behind the bumper of the old bus. Her tactic worked, and he took out one of the Raiders as it came out from its hiding place to try and shoot her. He heard this one’s cry as his bullet ended its life.

                “Just a couple more.” He said through gritted teeth, more to himself than to Olivia. She nodded and tried her tactic again, poking her upper body out to draw the Raider’s fire. They had caught on now, and the gunfire had all but stopped. She dug in her bag again, pulling out another grenade, but he shook his head. They would be scattered now, not close enough to make a grenade worth using.

                So with the patience of a saint, he waited, knowing that eventually they would fuck up. Raiders always did, in some way. At least the ones with no real leadership, the small crews that hung out in the ruins, staying strung out on chems and murdering the occasional traveler. The crews like this one. It only took a few more minutes before they got antsy and sprang from cover, and he took them out, the last two.

                “That all of ‘em?” He asked, but he already knew the answer. He was pulling his arm up to look at it. Olivia was rifling in her bag again, and pulled out a stimpak and some purified water. She popped the top on the canister and began rinsing his arm. He winced.

                “How bad is it? Did they hit the bone?” She asked, and he shook his head, heart still pounding from the adrenaline. He was watching her movements, seeing her breath come steaming from her mouth. Her touch felt hot on his arm as she worked and he shifted uncomfortably.

                “Looks like a through and through wound. Should heal okay with this.” She said, sticking him with the stimpak. He cringed momentarily as it hissed, releasing its contents. The pain in his arm eased considerably. The color was still bright in her cheeks, and her eyes met his, alive and intense.

                They always did this, after an encounter like this one. He wasn’t sure if it was the heat of battle, the need to know that they were both still alive and whole, or just that killing people made them both need a good fucking, but before either of them knew it, he had her bent over an old seat in the shell of the bus, his cock buried inside her, arms wrapped tight around her torso.

                “Fuck, Gage!” She cried as he thrusted, feeling the warm heat of her tighten around him. Neither of them seemed to care that they were still mostly clothed, the metal of his armor digging into her back as he pounded her. Her hands were gripping the seat tight, and he could see her knuckles going white.

                He loved the feeling of being inside of her anytime, but whenever they fucked like this, it was always like every fiber of him, every nerve was alive from the adrenaline they had just faced, making her feel all the more tight, wet, and hot on his cock. It made him wild, filling her with abandon, reveling in the sounds she made as he stroked, burying himself deep inside her.

                “Shit, Olivia I’m gonna-,” He grunted as he felt her quiver beneath him, and he pumped frantically into her a few more times, before the white heat of his climax ripped through him.

 

 

 

                Gage couldn’t remember the last time he had been to Goodneighbor. It had been a few years, at least. He remembered the bar, the Third Rail, and the hotel, but that was about it. Olivia had mentioned a while ago that it was “under new management”, and he wondered what that meant as they approached the junk door with the glowing neon sign over it that let them know they had reached their destination.

                After their tryst in the bus, they hadn’t run into anyone else. They had been fairly close to the town anyways, and it only took them another 20 minutes of walking to find themselves here, outside Goodneighbor. He was about to pull the door open when Olivia stopped him, a hand on his undamaged arm. He turned to her, brow cocked.

                “Okay, so I have to warn you about something.” She said, voice low. He turned more fully to her, interested.

                “The mayor here, John Hancock, have you heard of him? No? Well he’s the mayor here and I’ve helped him out quite a bit with some odd jobs he’s needed done. He even tagged around with me for a bit when I went out into the Glowing Sea the second time.” She said, the words coming out quickly. She was rambling, and he cleared his throat pointedly.

                “Okay. And?” He said, pushing her along. He was cold and just wanted to know if anyone here knew anything about Connor, so they could find a bar somewhere and get warm.

                “Well, nothing ever happened between us, but I think he wanted it to. And he’s not shy about letting it be known.” She said, watching his face. His eye flitted from her to the junk door, then back.

                “I’m just saying, he might say some stuff, some…inappropriate stuff. I just wanted to warn you so you didn’t cause an incident.” She said, the corners of her mouth twitching into a grin. He shrugged and pushed the door open.

                “As long as he knows when to quit.” He muttered, and Olivia glanced at him as she walked by, stepping over the threshold into the town.

                “Try to play nice.” She said, and this time it was his turn to grin. He followed her as she made her way through the courtyard of the place. They were just about to go into a storefront that read “Guns Guns Guns” on the sign over the doorway, when a voice called above the general buzz of the area.

                “Well, well, well, if it ain’t my favorite smoothskin.” Came the velvety voice of a ghoul in a red coat and tricorn hat. He approached Olivia with an almost uncomfortable familiarity, but she smiled widely at the sight of him and turned, returning his embrace as he reached her. Gage watched the scene before him, shifting his weight from leg to leg. He didn’t like the way the ghouls hands lingered on her hips, but she had warned him. He may just not have been prepared to see it.

                “Hancock, you look… well you look like you.” She said, stepping back a bit towards Gage. The ghoul beamed at her, his smile sly and confident.

                “And you look as amazing as ever, sister. Love the hair, letting it grow out are you? You finally learning to let loose a bit?” He jabbed. She chuckled, her hand going up involuntarily to touch the waves and push them back a little.

                “Some things change, Hancock.” She said, and Gage noted the way he looked at her, with respect, but with an underlying attraction that he didn’t try to hide.

                “That they do. I hear you’ve been partying with Raiders lately? Daisy said she sent some caravans out towards an old amusement park to the west, Nuka-World. Said you were out there setting up some Raiders real nice.” He said, and Gage saw the ghoul’s eyes dart to him momentarily, before alighting back on Olivia’s face.

                Gage didn’t have any problem with ghouls; in fact, sometimes he liked them better than normal people. They tended to be more straight forward, more direct in what they wanted. He had run with a crew of ghoul Raiders for a while after the shitshow with Connor, and while it hadn’t worked out in the end, they parted amicably enough. Gage could tell that Hancock was different than your average ghoul. The man had secrets, motives that he could tell were there, but couldn’t quite put his finger on.

                “Look, I’ll tell you the same thing I told Piper. It’s complicated, okay? Let’s just say that the Commonwealth is a lot better off with me in charge over there than if they were left to their own devices.” She said, a tad sharply. Hancock nodded, his hands going up in a placating gesture.

                “Hey, sister, no judgement here, you know me. Just didn’t seem like your kinda thing is all. Y’know, being such a do-gooder and everything.” He said, smiling. Olivia returned the smile, eye meeting Gage’s briefly.

                “I’m still the annoying moral compass all you assholes need, don’t you worry. Speaking of; Hancock, this is Gage.” She said, tossing her thumb at Gage. Hancock surveyed him fully now, with no pretense of politeness. Gage returned the favor.

                “Hope you’re taking care of my girl.” Hancock said, his voice holding the smallest bit of ice. Gage fought back a smirk, as well as the urge to punch the guy.

                “More often it’s her taking care of me to be completely honest.” Gage said, his own voice hard. They stared at each other just a few seconds beyond comfort, when Olivia’s hand met Gage’s arm, and his eyes went to her.

                “Hancock, we actually came here for a reason. To see if you knew anything about a new Raider gang moving into the Commonwealth. They may be holed up in the ruins somewhere, we’re not sure.” Olivia said, keeping her hand on Gage. Hancock’s gaze swung to her, his eyes softening again.

                “Sure you can’t just ask your Raider friend here if he knows where they are?” Hancock asked, gesturing vaguely to Gage. Olivia shook her head.

                “Nah, the guy we’re looking for is bad news. Not your average Raider bad news either. Got a pretty big crew, if he’s around somewhere close you’ll have noticed something.” She explained. Hancock tapped a finger under his chin, thinking.

                “Now that you mention it, I’ve been hearing rumblings coming from a ways up north, on the bank of the river. People have been mentioning Raiders going missing. It being Raiders, I really didn’t give a shit, but with you asking this, makes me wonder. Maybe it’s your guy, clearing out the competition?” He mused. Olivia’s face lit up, and she looked up at Gage, questioning. He let out a small shrug, unwilling to get excited just yet.

                “Where?” Olivia asked, turning back to Hancock.

                “An old art gallery. ‘Bout a half hour north, past the old church up that way.” He explained, watching as Olivia pulled her arm up to examine her Pip-Boy. After conferring with the ghoul over the small map, they parted ways, with Hancock inviting them for a drink when they got back from scouting it out.

                “Sounds promising, right?” Olivia asked as they walked into one of the shop stalls. An assaultron stood behind the counter, surveying them as they entered.

                “I dunno, Boss. Could be anything up there. Raiders ain’t known for makin’ friends.” He answered as she looked through the impressive stock of weaponry the robot had.

                “It’s worth checking out at least. We can leave today. It’s still early.” She said, making her selections and trading her caps to the assaultron (who introduced herself as KL-E-O).

                She was right, and they reached the edge of the riverbank to the north just as the sun reached its peak in the sky. It was a bright day, though cold, and Gage was eager to hurry this along so they could get back somewhere warm. He was adamant about not letting himself get excited at the prospect of finding Connor, though the slight hum of adrenaline coursed through him every time he thought of it. Was it a bad idea to bring Olivia along if it might be him? Could the two of them do anything, or would they be forced to just do recon and come back later with a larger force?

                These thoughts and more raced through his mind as they rounded the corner of the building, the one that Olivia’s Pip-Boy had shown as the art gallery. The door was tucked away in a small alcove, and he could see the decomposing corpse of a dead Raider as they approached. Olivia put her hand over her face as the smell hit them. It was eerily silent, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

                “Well that’s…gruesome.” She said nasally. He nodded in agreement and leaned down, searching the body while trying not to get any of the disgusting juices on him. A crumpled sheet of paper stuck out from one of the pockets on the corpse, and he pulled it free, handing it to Olivia.

                “Pickman was here. Find me if you dare. Then there is just a bloody heart.” She read, handing the note back to him as he stood. He wiped his hands on his pants before taking it, giving it a quick look, then tossing it back onto the Raiders body.

                “Well I’m not sure what that’s about, but we didn’t come all the way out here to get scared away by some dead Raiders. Let’s go.” He said, touching the door handle. Olivia swung her gun around and followed him as he turned the handle, grimacing at the rusted squeak the ages old hinges made.   

                It was dark inside, but that came second to the smell on the list of things they noticed first. It was oppressive, the smell of decay and blood thick in the air around them, coating them like a blanket of stench. He took a quick glance at Olivia, whose face was stark white as they stepped quietly into the building. As the door closed behind them, they stood in silence for a moment, listening to the building for any signs of life from within. It was dead silent.

                “Let’s look in there.” He whispered, pointing to an open door to the left, forgoing the stairs for the time being. Olivia nodded, her hand still hovering over her face as she tried to block the smell. He crept forward, wary of the ancient floorboards beneath his feet. He had already determined that Connor was more than likely not here; no way in hell his crew would be able to keep this quiet for this long.

                “What the fucking hell…?” He said as they came into the room. The floor in the center of the room was piled with bodies and pieces of bodies, along with a disturbing array of heads impaled on metal poles, all in various stages of decomposition. Everywhere he looked there was blood and gore and corpses, all posed or dismantled in new and horrifying ways.

                The bodies weren’t the most disturbing part, however. No, that distinction belonged to the paintings that adorned the walls. He didn’t know how many there were, but a cursory examination of one of them proved that it had been created using blood, bile, and feces; presumably from the carcasses that littered the room.

                “I’m gonna be sick.” Olivia squeaked from beside him and turned, quietly rushing from the room back into the foyer. He looked after her as she went, and heard the splatter of her breakfast on the wooden boards of the floor. He couldn’t blame her; this place wanted to make him puke, and he wasn’t pregnant.

                The house was still quiet, save for the occasional retching and spitting sounds Olivia made from the hall. He continued his macabre inspection of the room, finding more and more unsettling and disgusting things, even as he thought the last thing he saw couldn’t get any worse.

                “What do you think is going on here?” He asked, speaking in a voice just above a whisper so Olivia might hear him in the hall. Her sick noises had stopped, and he expected her to come back in the room, but he hadn’t heard her approach. He turned to look back towards the door to the entrance and froze, his heart skipping a beat.

                A man held Olivia, tight against him, one of her arms curled back behind her so she stood on her tiptoes. The bright gleam of the huge knife at her throat was what drew his eye, and stayed his hand that had already involuntarily begun to reach for his rifle. The man was slightly built, wearing a suit, long hair pulled back in an elegant ponytail. His face was pale, but cultured. He reminded Gage of one of the Operators at Nuka-World.

                “It’s not every day that Raiders come willingly into my gallery.” He spoke, his voice soft and refined in the silence. Gage cleared his throat to speak, but the words failed him.

                “We’re not Raiders.” Olivia gasped, and the man laughed, digging the knife blade a little harder into the soft flesh of her neck. Gage took a step forward, but stopped when the killer’s eyes darted to him.

                “I don’t believe that. You’ve got the look of Raiders to you. And trust me, I know a Raider when I see one.” He said, a sick smile coming to his lips as his eyes locked on Gage’s good one, staring him down.

                “She ain’t a Raider. I am. You can have me but let her go.” Gage spoke, his voice tight. His fingers played with the butt of his rifle, just out of reach slung on his back. He heard Olivia let out a huff of breath and watched her roll her eyes at his bargain.

                “I think I’ll have both of you. You’ll make a beautiful painting, I think. I can already see it in my mind’s eye. The lovely colors you’ll give me.” The man said breathlessly. Gage closed his eye briefly, trying to think. When he opened it again, Olivia was staring at him, her eye darting from his to the gun on his back, trying to tell him what she wanted him to do.

                “You don’t wanna do that. There are people in Goodneighbor, people who will come looking.” She said, even as her face was conveying her message to Gage. He understood what she was saying. She was going to do something to give him the time to get his gun up and take the guy out. He gave the tiniest nod to her, almost imperceptible. She shut her eyes, and he had barely a second before she flung her head back, knocking the man behind her directly in the chin, and then letting her legs fall out from beneath her.

                Gage’s weapon was in his hands before he had made the conscious decision to move. The killer, startled and surprised by this sudden distraction, fought to keep hold of Olivia as she collapsed bodily to the floor, pulling him down with her. Gage saw the knife still in the man’s hand, but took the shot anyways, aiming at the creep’s skull.

                There was a sick “ _schick_ ” sound as the bullet met the mark, and then an eerie moan as the last breath came from the man. Then all was quiet again. He was to Olivia in three strides, grasping her elbow and pulling her up, even as he saw her clutching her neck.

                “Let me see. Dammit, let me see!” He said pulling at her hand. Blood was seeping between her fingers as she pulled her hand away, giving him the view of the side of her neck, just beneath her jaw. He sighed and found her bag, pulling a bit of cloth out and clamping it over the wound, replacing her hand.

                “Not bad. Not deep. Needs to be cleaned though.” He said, sparing a glance at the prone body on the floor beside them. She sighed with irritation, straightening her jacket with her free hand.

                “Can’t we fucking do anything without someone sticking a knife or a gun in one of our faces? I mean c’mon, this is just getting ridiculous.” She said, voice wavering only slightly. She was still pale, but color was beginning to seep back into her cheeks.

                “I guess that’s what happens when you shack up with a Raider, Boss.” He said, letting a small smile come to his lips. She let out the breath of a laugh, and then began moving towards the door, eager to get out.

                “Hancock owes us a drink.” She said, more clearly now. Gage grunted as he took her by the arm, guiding them out into the daylight, uncaring that the rest of the gallery go unexplored. He had enough of that place to last a lifetime.

                “Fucker owes us more than that. C’mon. Let’s get back.”

 


	17. Jolene

                They found Hancock in the Third Rail when they got back to Goodneighbor, already three drinks deep and with a nice high going. He greeted them emphatically and seemed rather sympathetic when they told him what had happened, shaking his head before waving away some of the more interesting people that had gathered around him.

                “Well that fuckin’ blows. Sorry sister, y’know I’d never send you into danger on purpose.” He purred, wrapping an arm around Olivia who had seated herself next to the ghoul on a couch in the corner of the bar. Gage sat in an armchair across from them, watching.

                “That’s a damn lie and you know it, Hancock. Remember Trinity Tower?” She said, shrugging slightly away from him. Hancock put on a face of mock hurt, slapping his hand against his chest.

                “You blame me for that? And you got a nice new friend out of it and everything.” He said, taking a swig from a glass on the table. He had bought a round for all of them. Gage had downed his already. Olivia’s sat on the table, untouched.

                “Of course I blame you for that, idiot! You’re the one who sent me out to investigate the radio signal, knowing full well it was infested with Super Mutants!” She argued, though the corners of her mouth twitched up into a discreet smile.

                “Yeah, but did you die?” He said, eyes resting on her face in a way that made Gage shift uncomfortably in his chair. Olivia slapped playfully at the ghoul’s shoulder.

                “Not that time, and you’re lucky not this time either. Who’d keep your neighborhood clean if I was gone?” She said, her gaze shifting from Hancock to Gage, the smirk still playing on her face.

                “Got a point there, sister. Guess I’ll have to be more careful with you from now on.” Hancock said, and Gage puzzled at the way he looked from Olivia to him, unsure what the look meant.

 

                In the end they stayed in the bar until well into the night, only rising to leave when Olivia started dozing off, leaned against Hancock’s shoulder. There was a woman crooning softly in the corner by the counter, and Gage thought that he might be next to fall asleep if they didn’t get out soon. The small group stood, and Olivia gave Hancock a tight hug, blinking sleep from her eyes.

                “We’ll probably leave early tomorrow, so I might not catch you on the way out.  I’ll see you next time, Hancock.” She said, her voice hoarse. The ghoul, who showed no sign of slowing down, chucked her playfully on the chin.

                “Don’t be a stranger. You know Goodneighbor’s doors are always open to you, and your…friend.” He said, his eye going to Gage who stood watching them. Olivia smiled and nodded, then turned to walk up the stairs that lead out of the bar. Gage went to follow her, but was stopped by Hancock’s surprisingly tight grip on his arm. He fought the urge to wrench away, instead turning to meet the ghoul’s eye.

                “Take care of her. Take care of both of them.” Hancock said, before letting him go. Gage’s brow shot up, and he opened his mouth to ask how he knew, but Hancock’s gesture towards the table and Olivia’s untouched glass cut him off.

                “I’ve never seen Olivia turn down a perfectly good drink before. Plus, it’s just something in the way she looks at ya’. Don’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.” He said, a half-smile coming to his scarred face. Gage cleared his throat, feeling unsure of what to do next.

                “Just don’t fuck it up. Or you’ll have a lot of angry people after your ass.” Hancock said, and beneath the playful tone of his voice, Gage caught the seriousness of his statement. He wasn’t sure how to take the thinly veiled threat, but decided to let it slide, wanting to catch Olivia up.

                “Don’t plan on it.” He said, and with a final nod to the ghoul, turned to leave the bar.

 

 

 

                Easy City Downs should have only been an hour or so walk from Goodneighbor, but there was no bridge that lead straight across the river, so they had to take the long way around by heading north up through the ruins, before turning east and then finally back south. They were just getting out of the ruins of East Boston when Olivia spoke, her voice high and clear in the chilled air.

                “What happens if these Raiders at Easy City Downs just decide to shoot us on sight?” She asked, kicking a rock in her path. It was a gloomy day out, the sky threatening rain. He shrugged.

                “Well it’s a racetrack now, from what I hear. And with the two of us lookin’ the way we do, I bet they let us in, as long as we got caps to bet.” He answered. She considered this for a moment.

                “What do you mean, ‘Lookin’ the way we do’?” She prodded. He grinned at her.

                “You know exactly what I mean, Boss. Lookin’ like Raiders.” He replied. She scoffed.

                “Maybe you look like a Raider. I just look like a normal citizen of the Commonwealth.” She said, her voice full of fake arrogance.

                “You ain’t looked in a mirror recently, have you? You look like a Raider, alright. Maybe not a very good one…” He said, dodging a kick she aimed at him. He laughed, sidling back up to walk beside her again.

                “Look just trust me on this, Olivia. They’ll let us in.” He said, letting the laughter die out of his voice.

                “And you think they’ll know where Connor is?” She asked. He nodded slightly.

                “Well we tried everything else, short of traipsing around the Commonwealth checking under every rock and piece of rusted out car we come across. This is as good a bet as any. If it’s still the same gang from 20 years ago, and I’d bet my best shirt it is, then they’ll know where Connor is.” He said. It was quiet for a while, the two of them walking side by side, each lost in thought. Olivia spoke first.

                “If your best shirt is any of the ones I’ve ever seen you wear, than we’re in for a surprise I think.”

                They both laughed harder than they had in a very long time.

 

 

                The racetrack had seen better days, that was for sure. The dilapidated buildings loomed up from the outskirts of the ruins, a big orange sign emblazoned with “EASY CITY DOWNS” adorning the side of one of the buildings. Gage had never been here before, only heard stories, but from the sounds of the place, it was still in full operation. An announcer was calling out garbled names over a tinny speaker somewhere. Gage lowered his rifle as they approached, and Olivia followed suit. They slowly came up to the front of the main building, cautiously moving so as not to spook anyone inside.

                “That’s close enough!” Called a voice from inside with a thick accent. The two stopped in unison, waiting to be greeted, or shot.

                “Yah got caps?” Came the voice again, and a head popped out from a window, showing the figure of a man in a suit, a machine gun trained on them.

                “Yeah, we got caps.” Gage replied gruffly. The man eyed them for a moment, and then waved them forward.

                “Yah got caps, we got shit to bet ‘em on. C’mon ova’, but I’m warnin’ yah, no funny business.” The man said, his gun still trained on them as they holstered their weapons. Olivia gave a small wave as they passed the man, walking into the main building of the place. Now they could see the track through the windows and holes in the opposite walls. There were several robots fumbling their way around the dirt path that encircled the place, different makes and models, all in various stages of disrepair. Olivia fought back a laugh at the sight.

                “Yah can put in yah bets with Eager Ernie upstairs, but you’ll hafta wait ‘til the next race.” The man said, before turning out of the room and leaving them standing in the empty building. Gage shrugged and walked outside, Olivia close behind him. The place was fairly well fortified, with a decent amount of Raiders milling about. There was no way to tell which of them belonged to the crew, and which of them were just there to bet, however.

                “So how are we gonna get this info? Get someone drunk and hope they have loose lips?” Olivia asked, her eyes glued to the robot racing spectacle in front of them. It was almost sad to see, the bots all tripping over themselves or short circuiting in the middle of the track. He wondered if they were programmed to be that dumb, or if the racing had just taken a toll on them.

                “Hell if I know. Didn’t really put much thought into it.” He said, scratching his mohawk. It was getting long; he’d have to have Olivia cut it when they had some down time.

                Then he saw her.

                It had to be her. She was tall, slender, and walked with the same confident stride that she had almost 20 years ago. The gloom of the day still couldn’t stop the shine of her dark reddish brown hair from showing, even pulled up in the high ponytail it was in. With her pale skin and hourglass figure, there was no doubting who the woman that was coming towards them at a decent clip from the center of the track was.

                “Well goddamn I thought my eyes might be deceiving me when I saw you come walking in here, Porter.” She said, carrying almost the same accent that he had. He sighed internally, and had to keep himself from grimacing as she came to stand in front of them, joined on either side by some mousy looking Raiders with shotguns.

                “Nice to see you again too, Jolene.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are gonna start heating up real quick in the next few chapters. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story!


	18. Old Flames

                It was definitely unexpected, seeing her here. Time had been good to her, the only indication that 18 years had passed since the last time he saw her was the fine lines that gathered around her eyes, and a scar that cut across her upper lip, giving her already angular face an even edgier look. She observed him in the same way he must have been observing her, before Olivia cleared her throat.

                “You know each other I guess?” Olivia asked looking between them. Jolene looked down at her briefly, before turning her green eyes back to him.

                “You could say that, couldn’t you, Porter?” She purred. He did grimace then, taking a step back from her.

                “It’s just Gage now, thanks. Jolene, this is Olivia. She’s the Overboss of the crew I’m running with now.” He said, his voice short and clipped. Jolene didn’t look back down at Olivia, just kept staring, eyes boring holes in him.

                “Gage, huh? Sure has been a while since I last saw your ass. Out in Nuka-World now, right?” She asked, and he felt an eyebrow raise, wondering how she could know that.

                “Only crew big enough for someone like you to be involved with in the Commonwealth.” She answered his look. Olivia cast a wary gaze at him, but he kept looking at Jolene, not really believing he was seeing her.

                “You never struck me as the betting type, Jolene.” Gage said, trying to change the subject. He didn’t like the way she was looking at him. It worked, and she shrugged, her eyes darting around them at the racetrack.

                “My crew and I run this place. You’re right, I don’t bet, but I do profit from those who do.” She answered, gesturing around them. Gage’s heart sped up at this.

                “Wait, you’re running this place?” He asked, voice suddenly tight in his throat. She nodded. This might be easier, or a lot more difficult, than he previously thought. Jolene eyed him, then turned to the two bodyguards beside her and dismissed them. She stepped closer to them and nodded.

                “Yeah, I am. Surprised?” She asked, and he shook his head. He could tell Olivia was getting impatient next to him, unsure of the situation, so he endeavored to move on.

                “Nope, just didn’t know you joined up with these guys is all. Been a long time since everything happened.” He said, trying his best to sound disinterested. Jolene laughed.

                “That’s an interesting way to put it. ‘Happened’. Well, when everything went tits up with Connors crew and we left, I decided to go back and see what these guys had to offer. Seeing as how even when Connor and his crew sent you in to distract them while he attacked them, they still managed to come out on top. Took some convincing, but they let me in, and I just worked my way to the top.” She said. 

                “I’m surprised you ain’t running your own crew, Gage. Though I guess you always have been more interested in being the second, the one pulling the strings.” She said, with a downward glance at Olivia. Olivia opened her mouth as though to say something, but he cut her off.

                “Look, Jolene I ain’t here to rehash old shit. Just need information.” He said. Jolene’s eyes widened at this, before settling into a dangerous expression. He had just showed his hand too soon; they needed something from her, and she knew it.

                “Information has a price, Gage.” She said slyly. He heard Olivia let out an exasperated breath beside him.

                “I just need to know if you’ve heard where Connor is lately. He’s back in the Commonwealth and I need to know where.” He blurted, annoyed. Jolene’s eyebrow shot up, and a smirk played over her full lips.

                “You trying to settle old debts? 20 years seems like a long time to let sleeping dogs lie, then decide you wanna get revenge.” She said, her voice curious. Olivia piped up, tired of being ignored.

                “More like new debts. He wants Nuka-World, I wanna stop him. I need to know where he is to do that.” She said, and Gage could hear the confidence in her voice. Jolene looked down at her, her arms crossed over her chest as though she just remembered she was there.

                “Better have quite the force at Nuka-World if you wanna take out Connor’s crew. He came back with a fair amount of Raiders at his disposal.” She said, this time addressing Olivia. Olivia shrugged, adjusting her stance to better face Jolene.

                “We’ve got what we need. We just need to know where he is.” She answered.

                “Like I said, information has a price.” Jolene retorted. Olivia frowned slightly. Gage watched, almost fascinated as the two faced off, seeming to forget he was there momentarily.

                “You’re not getting Nuka-World.” Olivia said. Jolene chuckled, throwing her hands against her thighs in mock hilarity.

                “As if I want into your little play-place. Nah, I got a nice set up right here. Bringing in caps, well-fortified, decent recruitment. No, you can keep your park to yourself.” Jolene said, eyeing Olivia with a bit less malice than before.

                “However, I could use a new caravan stop out there. Let my traders come through, say… weekly?” Jolene asked, throwing a quick glance at Gage. Olivia shook her head.

                “Once a month.” She countered.

                “Twice. You can even pick the times.” Jolene said, stepping back to survey Olivia again. Olivia considered for a moment.

                “Twice. Fine. But no more than 2 traders with 5 caravan guards. And they check their weapons with my people.” She answered finally. Jolene smiled and extended a finely kept hand. Olivia reached out and shook.

                “My sources say Connor is holed up down south, near the edge of the glowing sea. In an old vault, if I ain’t mistaken.” She answered, still speaking to Olivia.

                “He’s got quite the force with him. I don’t think they’re all headquartered there, I think he’s got them spread out. Smart on his part, honestly.” Jolene continued. Gage met Olivia’s eye, trying to convey his thoughts to her without speaking. This was what they had thought he would do, split up his crew to try to disorient them, to ensure he always had people if something happened.

                “Anyways, that’s all I know. Y’all are welcome to stay here, bet a little, partake in my hospitality if you’d like.” She said, turning the charm back on. She went to turn away.

                “I’ve gotta get back, things to do you know. It was good seeing you again, Gage. Don’t be a stranger.” She said, her head turned over her shoulder to speak to him.

                “Yeah, thanks Jolene.” He said flippantly. She grinned at him.

                “Anything for an old flame.” And with a wink, she sauntered away.

 

 

 

                “So, you wanna explain all that to me?” Olivia said as they left the racetrack. The sun was sinking on the horizon, casting a dull orange shadow through the overcast skies. They were walking around the outside of the track, moving slowly.

                “Think it’s pretty self-explanatory, Boss.” He said, embarrassed. Olivia scoffed.

                “You guys had a…thing… I guess? What happened? Decide red-heads weren’t for you?” Olivia jabbed. He rolled his eyes at her.

                “More like she decided to wake up one morning and take her shit, and mine, and leave without a word.” He answered. She eyed him.

                “It wasn’t serious. We met after I joined Connor’s crew. We fucked, we fought, that kind of shit. She was there when everything went south; she was kinda the reason I got so fucked up on Med-X after I lost my eye.” He explained. They had slowed as he spoke, Olivia listening intently.

                “Guess she decided this crew was more lucrative than hanging around with me.” He said, throwing a thumb back towards the track. Olivia shrugged, her eye darting from his face to the ground.

                “Her loss.” She said, before turning to face the road. They were headed towards a bridge. The sounds of the racetrack were fading away now as they continued walking, though the floodlights from the place were beginning to shine in the coming evening.

                “I’ve got a settlement just a little ways from here. We can stay there for the night. It’s small, so might not be the best accommodations, but it beats sleeping in the ruins somewhere.” She said. He followed her closely as they crossed the bridge, coming up to a small group of shacks just off the road, on a small patch of cleared beach. A person sat manning a makeshift guard tower, and he stood as they approached, weapon drawn on them.

                “Hey Cole. Just me.” Olivia said, throwing her hands up and stopping. The sun was almost completely gone now, but the man seemed to recognize Olivia’s voice. The tenseness in him fell away, and he dropped the rifle tip towards the ground.

                “Oh, hey General. Good to see you.” He said. Gage stood back as Olivia walked up to him and chatted, telling the man about why they were there and such, and making accommodations for their stay. He surveyed the place, not that there was a lot to see. There were four buildings, each looking hastily cobbled together from whatever could be found. There were three turrets that he could see, and another guard post on the far side of the road from where they stood. Small fires and lanterns were beginning to burn around the shacks, and he could see the forms of a few people mingling about, watching to see what was going on.

                “They have room for us in the shed there.” Olivia pointed as she came back over to him. He followed her finger to the smallest of the rickety buildings, the one closest to where they stood. He could see an assortment of odds and ends stacked up behind the building, covered with a ratty blue tarp.

                “I’ve knocked off in worse places.” He said, getting a grin from Olivia. She knew, she had slept in some of those places alongside him.

                “They also just made some fresh Mirelurk stew today. Cole says we’re welcome to some as long as I look at their water purifier before we settle in.” She said, already turning to the buildings. He followed close behind her, feeling wary eyes on him as they approached the main part of the settlement. The people were friendly enough, however, and soon (after Olivia had worked her magic on the purifier) they were digging into some dinner. It was hot, and not altogether awful, even though Gage had never really had a taste for Mirelurk.

                It was a pleasant enough evening; the settlers traded stories, and even made him tell one of his own. He made sure it was one of his adventures with Olivia, not any Raider business. He was uncomfortable speaking out loud for so long, but it made Olivia smile, so he pushed through.

                The moon was poking high through the clouds before they turned in, heading to the shed that would be their shelter for the night. They found that there was a rather stained mattress on the ground inside, but Olivia found some rolled up canvas to spread over it, making it marginally more bearable.

                He hadn’t realized how tired he was until he was laying down; Olivia curled next to him, her warmth spreading into his chilled limbs. Moonlight filtered in through the holes in some of the shacks more faulty places, casting shadows on her face. They slept mostly dressed, both just removing their armor for the night. He wasn’t aware he had even fallen asleep until he woke some time later, to see Olivia sitting up next to him on the mattress, staring into the darkness.

                “Boss, what is it?” He asked, instantly alert. She put a hand on his chest to reassure him. He sat up next to her, pulling her to rest on his chest.

                “Nothing, just can’t sleep is all. It’s really moving around in there tonight.” She said, and he noticed now her hand resting carefully on the swell of her stomach. A week, maybe two and she would be too big to hide it any more.

                “Oh… anything I can do?” He asked, unsure of himself. She let out the breath of a laugh, bringing his hand to rest under hers on the bump. His heart sped up as it always did when he thought of the kid. Try as he might, he still couldn’t feel anything, however.

                “Nah. Sleep now. We gotta figure out our next move in the morning. It’s best if at least one of us has a clear head for it.” She said softly, releasing his hand. He lay back, letting his hand trace small circles on her back as she sat. She relaxed into his touch, and he fell back asleep to the sound of her breathing.

 


	19. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this chapter is gonna start some crazy action! Just wanna put a note here that things get really violent and dark here and in the next couple chapters, so proceed with caution! Now let's get into it. :)

                Loud noises woke him up.

                It was bright out, sometime well after sunup. He sat up, wiping sleep from his eye and trying to figure out the noise when it came again and he froze. Gunshots. Olivia was awake next to him, listening as well. At this second noise, she sat up, crawling carefully to the wall where two slats were parted just enough to peer through. Gage pulled his armor on, before moving to join her.

                The scene that greeted him almost made his heart stop.

                It was Connor. He could see the man’s grey hair glint in the morning light as he pointed his rifle at the last turret, taking it out as it whirred up for the first shot. Olivia was tensed hard as steel next to him, watching the scene unfold. Settlers scurried around, trying to flee, but there were too many Raiders, all gathered in the center of the shacks, where the campfire had been the night before. Olivia turned quickly to look at him, her eyes wide with a fear that he felt in the deepest parts of him. There were only two of them, and Connor had at least ten, probably more with him, all armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.

               “Jolene, did she-,” Olivia started to ask in a whisper, but Gage cut her off with a violent shake of his head, his eye still glued to the action outside. Jolene was many things, but wasn’t a snitch, and she had no loyalties for Connor at all. He ripped his gaze away to look around the shack. There was a loose board in the wall, they could move it quietly and sneak out the back, hopefully get out of the line of fire before Connor realized…

                “Olivia Flynn! Come out here!” Connor’s voice roared over the noise outside. He whirled back to see Olivia staring, wide-eyed out through the space. He pressed his eye to the slit and saw what she had seen. Connor had a boy, one of the younger ones, maybe 7 or 8, held by the neck with one hand. The other held a pistol whose muzzle was buried in the boy’s short curly hair. Gage’s heart stopped beating. He knew what game Connor was playing.

                “I know you’re here, bitch! Come out now or I blow this kid’s head off!” Connor yelled again, shaking the boy for emphasis. Olivia swung her gaze up to Gage’s, her eyes searching his. He was shaking his head and grabbing at her before she could say anything.

               “Olivia, no. No. You cannot go out there. I don’t care about that kid. He will kill you. Do you hear me? The minute you step out there. We can go, but you can’t-,” He said, but she was shaking her head, her eyes going back to the slit to see what Connor was doing. He grasped wildly at her, squeezing her upper arms in alarm, feeling his throat go dry and his head spin.

               “No. Olivia, I won’t let you. You can’t. He’s gonna kill that kid no matter what you do. You can’t go.” He reasoned. Olivia wasn’t paying attention, she was rapt on what was going on outside.

                “I’ll give you to the count of three! One!” Connor shouted, and somewhere a woman screamed, her hysterical voice cracking in the winter air.

                “Gage, I have to… That kid… Plus he can’t kill me. If he does, he won’t get what he wants.” She said, her voice shaking. He shook his head again, clasping his hands on her shoulders and shaking her slightly.

                “Olivia, no. You have to understand me. He will-,” He started, and she tried to pull back but he held fast.

                “TWO!” Connor bellowed from outside. Gage felt his face flush hot with fear and rage. They were trapped.

                “He can’t. I have what he needs. I’ll tell him. Then you can run, get away. Go to Sanctuary and tell them. Get to us before he gets to Nuka-World. You can get me back. But I have to go, Gage. I have to go and you have to get out.” She said, her eyes shining with determination and tears. He shook his head and was very set on forcibly taking her from the building when she turned back to the slit and opened her mouth.

                “I’m here! Don’t hurt him!” She yelled, even as Gage tried futilely to cover her mouth with his hand. She wrestled herself from his grasp and stood, pulling her armor on quickly and grabbing her shotgun, slinging it over her back. Gage scrambled up next to her, desperately trying to get her to stay, even though he knew she wouldn’t.

                “Olivia, no.” He said weakly, finding his own voice shaking. She turned to him quickly, planting a chaste kiss on his lips.

                “Go, get to Sanctuary. They’ll help you get me back. Please Gage. You have to.” She said, and gently pushed him back before turning to the door. He stepped back so as not to be seen as she shoved the wooden door open and slid out. He turned, unsure of what to do, wanting to go back to the slit to watch but also knowing he needed to leave, all the while waiting, convinced the next sound he heard would be the gunshot that ended her life.

                “Where’s Porter?” He heard Connor ask a moment later. Gage felt his heart hammering so loudly in his chest he thought it must be audible from outside. He scrambled to the loose board and pulled it gently, so as not to make noise. He slid carefully out from the shack, replacing the board. He looked around. He could book it across the bridge from here, and probably make it, but he couldn’t leave Olivia, not knowing if Connor would kill her or not. He decided to wedge himself in the junk under the tarp he had seen the night before, careful to cover the yellow of his armor. From his hiding spot he could hear the commotion, but not see it. He closed his eye and waited, convinced the next second would be when he heard Olivia die.

                “He left last night. I told him to go back to Nuka-World. I told him someone had to be there while I was gone, looking for you.” She lied, and he found even he believed her for a moment, her voice was so convincing. It was quiet for a second.

                “Search the buildings.” Connor said, and Gage held his breath. The next few minutes passed agonizingly slow as the Raiders searched the place. At one point he thought he had been made, but Connor called them all back before his hiding place could be thoroughly searched. He let out a breath of relief, ears still probing for what was happening.

                “See. I told you the truth. Now let the kid go.” Olivia said when he assumed all the Raiders had come back empty handed.

                “You ain’t in a position to be making demands, Overboss.” Connor’s sarcastic reply came, sending ice through Gage’s veins. His mind was going a mile a minute, wanting to run, wanting to come out shooting, wanting to bash Connor’s head in until there was nothing left but a pulpy mess.

                “I’m here. I’ll come with you. You can have Nuka-World. Just let him go.” Olivia reasoned. Gage’s eye was pressed shut as he imagined the scene; her standing there, the guns of multiple Raiders trained on her, but still standing tall, still defending her people.

                “It ain’t that easy. You gotta die before I get Nuka-World. You just gonna let that happen?” Connor asked snidely. Gage swallowed hard, blinking back the visions of Connor putting a bullet in her brain. Trying not to think of what he would do if that happened.

                “It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice, does it? But I don’t think you should kill me just yet.” Olivia answered.

                “Oh yeah, and why the fuck not?” Connor asked, and Gage could hear the irritation in his voice rising.

                “Because you won’t get near Nuka-World without me. Plus, you won’t gain any of the respect of the crew there if you just show up with my corpse. They’ll need to see you kill me. And trust me; you won’t get into that place if they don’t want you there.” She said. Gage felt a tiny amount of pride well up inside him. She was still so eloquent, even bargaining for her life. She knew what the Raiders of Nuka-World were apt to do, and she knew their loyalties would lie with her until they saw someone best her face to face.

                “What if I don’t care about that crew? I can just clear ‘em out and bring in my own people.” Connor reasoned, but Gage could hear the sway Olivia was having on him. Her tactic was working.

                “I suppose you could try. I’m not sure how many you brought with you, but the force at Nuka-World is…substantial. You’ll be hard pressed to find a large enough group to take them on without losing a majority of your own people.” She said. Gage found his breaths coming slower as he listened. This was working. He would have to book it out of there fast, start moving and get to Sanctuary before Connor and his people could get her to Nuka-World, but he had confidence he could move faster.

                “No one there knows what’s happened. Gage is gone. The Minutemen have no loyalties to the Raiders, so they don’t really care about what happens there. You have the advantage. Just let the kid go and you can take me there. Then the place will be yours.” She said, adding a defeated tone to her voice at the last sentence. It was quiet for a long time as Connor considered.

                “I won’t fight back. I won’t run. You won, Connor.” She said as the silence dragged on. Gage felt this heart skip a beat. The fuck he had. An anger was rising in Gage, replacing the fear now that he saw that Olivia’s plan would probably work. He was just about to move, just getting ready to sneak out of the hiding spot when the shot came.

                There was screaming, a high pitched wail from someone, one of the settlers. Gage found that his own voice was caught in his throat, a yell that couldn’t make it out past the lump that had formed there. Visions of Olivia's head, a bloody hole blown through it danced over his vision, threatening him with unconsciousness. There was a loud ringing in his ears, a sound that only cleared when he heard Olivia’s voice coming over the other sounds from the courtyard. He felt relief flood his veins, but only momentarily as he realized what Connor had done.

                “Why would you do that? Why? I said I would come? Why?” She was yelling, her voice barely intelligible. Gage had told her. He knew. That kid would die no matter what she did. It was what Connor did. It was who he was.

                 “You’re right, bitch. I did win.” His cold voice came over the din. Someone was quieting the woman, the kid’s mother maybe. The commotion was settling down. He heard Connor tell one of his men to strip her of her weapons and tie her hands up. They were getting ready to move.

                So Gage did the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his life.

                He carefully disentangled himself from the junk pile he was in.

                He crouched, moving as fast as possible away from the settlement, to the water by the bridge.

                He left Olivia alone.


	20. There Ain't No Easy Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope you're still enjoying! Feel free to leave comments or criticisms below! I'm gonna try to update these next few chapters fairly quickly, because they all end on pretty big cliffhangers and I don't wanna leave you guys like that! Enjoy!

                Gage could count on one hand the amount of times he had crossed the entirety of the Commonwealth in one trip. Most of those times had been with Olivia, after they had cleared Nuka-World and were out helping her settlements. Usually he ran jobs to specific locations, and then returned, taking multiple days to do so. And always he had someone else with him, either another Raider, or Olivia, her Pip-Boy map showing the way they needed to go.

                Now he was alone, sprinting full tilt north through the ruins of East Boston, and into the Wasteland, passing by everything smaller than a ghoul without a second thought. Without a map, he was unsure of how long it would take him to get to Sanctuary. He only knew the general direction to travel, until he started seeing the landmarks that he recognized near the place. He stopped only to chug water, or occasionally take out a roving group of wild dogs that threatened his progress. His only thoughts were getting to Sanctuary and telling them what happened. His only thoughts were of Olivia, and the baby she carried with her.

                He had never run so hard in his life, maybe aside from when he was tricked by Mason and the Pack to go out to Safari Adventure the day Mason had taken Olivia from Fizztop. He remembered the fear he had felt then. It seemed dwarfed by the terror that coursed through his veins now, the rage he felt for Mason seeming insignificant compared to the fury he had for Connor. He would get Olivia back unharmed, or he would burn the Commonwealth to the ground until Connor and everyone loyal to him were dead.

                He ran through the night, the chill of the winter air not even fazing him as it probably should have. If he had time to think about it, he might have counted himself lucky; he ran into almost no obstacles on his way to the northwestern settlement Olivia called home. It was around noon the next day when he finally ran past the old Red Rocket station right outside the bridge to Sanctuary. He saw no one as he came over the bridge; they must all be in the back towards the fields, he thought absently.

                Suddenly there was a popping noise and something hit the ground hard near his feet. He stopped dead, instantly alert for where the shot came from, resisting the urge to grab his own gun and return fire. Instead he reluctantly raised his hands, finding MacCready sitting on the roof of one of the nearby buildings, sniper rifle nested in the crook of his shoulder.

                “What’re you running for? And where the fu- where the hell is Olivia?” He called, the weapon still trained on Gage. Gage fought to get his breathing under control, as well as his irritation.

                “Look, MacCready, I need help. Olivia’s been taken, we gotta move to get her-,” He started, but the mercenary cut him off.

                “Who took her? What are you going on about?” He yelled. Gage sighed in exasperation.

                “Come down here and I’ll tell you but we have to move fast! She doesn’t have-,”

                “I’m not gonna come down there until you tell me what the hell is going on and where Olivia-,” MacCready started. Gage threw his hands down and started walking, but another shot hit the ground by his feet, stopping him.

                “Goddammit MacCready I don’t fucking have time!” Gage roared, but the sniper didn’t move. Gage was very close to a full on shootout with the man when Preston rounded the corner, his laser musket resting warily in his hands. Gage was almost relieved to see him. Almost.

                “MacCready, what the hell is going on here?” Preston called, ignoring Gage completely to speak with the mercenary on the roof. MacCready pulled away from the rifle and stood, moving to the edge to speak with the Minuteman.

                “I dunno Garvey. He says Olivia’s been taken. Won’t say any more.” MacCready explained, and Gage scoffed.

                “He won’t let me say anymore. Look, Garvey, I need your help. Olivia’s been taken. We can get her back but we have to be fast. They’ll be passing-,” He started, but Garvey cut him off.

                “Who took her? Where?” He asked sharply. Gage blew air out of his nose in irritation.

                “Raiders. Over near the airport. I know where they’re going, but we have to-,”

                “Raiders? Well seems like you two are in good company then. Should be simple for someone like you to get her back.” Preston said calmly, voice like ice. Gage clenched and unclenched his fists. They were wasting time. He never should have come here. He took another breath, ready to start again, when Nick appeared, trench coat billowing out behind him as he jogged up. Gage felt relief flood into him at the sight of the synth.

                “Gage, Preston, MacCready.” He greeted warily, eyes scanning the area behind Gage, probably for Olivia. “What’s going on here?”

                “Fuck, Nick, you gotta listen. They took Olivia. They’re gonna kill her we have to go-,” Gage started, and to his fury was cut off again by the mercenary.

                “Raiders took Olivia, Nick. Ain’t our problem.” The smaller man said. Nick shot him a glance, then looked back to Gage, who could feel the heat rising in his face. Nick put out a placating hand.

                “MacCready, shut up for a second, will ya’? What happened Gage? Where is Olivia?” Nick asked, attention fully on him now. Gage took a deep breath.

                “A group of Raiders took her over by the airport. I escaped to come here to get help. They’re gonna kill her. If we move fast we can overtake them, they should only be a little ways behind me.” He said, and the synth nodded.

                “Who are these Raiders? Why do they wanna kill Olivia?” Preston asked, irritated. Gage shot him a look.

                “His name is Connor, goes by The Harvester. Same one who got me before. He wants Nuka-World.” He answered quickly. MacCready scoffed.

                “Well just give him the place then! If she’s in so much danger just give him the godda-, give him the freakin’ place and we won’t have to worry about it!” The sniper said, gesturing wildly. Gage was about to answer, but Nick beat him to it.

                “You don’t get it, MacCready. With Olivia in charge of that place, it keeps it so we don’t have to worry about the Raiders. Don’t you see? She’s keeping them in check by being in charge out there.” Nick explained. MacCready shook his head, disbelieving. Gage nodded in agreement with the detective.

                “He’s right. If Connor gets in there it’s only a matter of time before he’s got large numbers moving out to take over settlements in the Commonwealth. That was always the plan for Nuka-World. Well, at least until Olivia took over there.” Gage said, voice lowering.

                “With the trade routes she set up there, and the caps she’s bringing in to them, she’s keeping the Raiders happy without them needing to expand farther into the Wasteland. She’s the only thing standing between Sanctuary as it is now, and Sanctuary burned to the fucking ground.” Gage went on. Preston shifted his weapon, leaning forward.

                “We wouldn’t let that happen.” He said defiantly. It was Gage’s turn to scoff.

                “You wouldn’t have a damn choice, Garvey. The amount of Raiders that Connor would have control over would overrun your Minutemen in days. People would die. The rest would be made slaves. It’s what Olivia’s been trying to tell you since all this shit happened.” Gage said. Nick cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him.

                “Olivia has helped all of us, even though she didn’t have to. She saved you in Concord, didn’t she Preston?” Nick asked, getting a sheepish nod from the Minuteman. He turned to MacCready.

                “And she saved your son’s life, Mac. Even when she was searching for her own. Your son owes her his life. And so do you.” He said. MacCready’s eyes shifted to the ground, the barrel of his rifle following suit.

                “She’s done more for us than we deserve. She keeps these settlements up and running even with everything she has to deal with. We need to help her.” Nick finished. Gage found his heart hammering again, waiting to see what would happen, mixed with the adrenaline of knowing Olivia was all the time marching closer and closer to death.

                “How do we know she isn’t already dead? That this guy didn’t already kill her?” Preston asked after a minute. The trio turned to look at Gage expectantly.

                “Connor needs her alive to get the loyalties of the Raiders in Nuka-World. They won’t follow him unless they see her bested face to face. Plus he can’t get in the park without her. She closed it up, the only way in is through her Pip-Boy.” He answered.

                “So how do we know they’re not there already?” MacCready piped up. Gage ran his hands over his face in exasperation.

                “Because he’s got quite a few Raiders with him. Probably 10 or 12, maybe more. You don’t march that large of a group across the Commonwealth without resting, prisoner or no.” He answered. Preston shook his head.

                “Okay but how do you know that? If he wants the place, what’s to stop him from pushing all the way there in the same time it took you to get here?” He asked.

                “Because Raiders work different than the rest of you. Because if you wanna stay in charge of a group of Raiders like Connor is, you gotta keep ‘em happy. They ain’t gonna follow you if you’re driving them into the ground. Any unrest among Raiders is dangerous to those in charge. You get one unhappy Raider, and soon the entire group is stringing you up and someone new is stepping into your place.” He explained. MacCready muttered something uncouth about Raiders under his breath, but Gage ignored him.

                “No, Connor will be moving quickly, but they’ll have to stop. Make camp. They’ll have to eat and rest. I didn’t do any of that. We got a couple hours on them, at least.” He finished. MacCready shifted irritably.

                “How do you know all of this? How do you know anything about this guy?” He asked, eyeing Gage suspiciously.

                “ ‘Cause I used to run with him, alright? But none of that fucking matters now, does it? Look, are you gonna fucking help me or not? Because if you ain’t then I gotta figure something else out.” Gage snapped. The sniper looked at Preston, an inscrutable look on his face. It was quiet for a minute before Garvey spoke.

                “MacCready, go find Deacon. He’s skulking around here somewhere, stopped in after running a synth between safe houses. Grab him and the two of you head down towards Sunshine Tidings. If what he says is true-,” He said, gesturing to Gage. “-, then they should pass close by there soon. When they do one of you come back and tell us.” MacCready frowned, and made to object, but thought better of it, instead turning and jogging off in search of the other person Preston had mentioned.

                “I’m gonna see if there are any Minutemen units nearby who can help out, maybe try and see if any of the settlers here are looking to repay debts to Olivia. We’ll regroup when MacCready sends word back that he’s found them.” The man said, glancing at Gage before turning more fully to Nick. The synth nodded at him in agreement.

                “Hope you’re all ready for a fight.” Preston said, before turning and walking off at a brisk pace towards the main part of the settlement. Gage let himself feel a slight bit of relief, trying to fight back the fear that had permeated his mind since he saw Connor outside the shack on that beach. Nick stood beside him, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.

                “You look like you went one too many rounds with an Alpha Deathclaw, Gage. You should get some rest; someone will find you when we know anything.” Nick said, watching Gage through golden eyes. He shook his head, though he could feel the numbness in his legs giving way to a deep throbbing pain.

                “No. I’ll help. There’s gotta be something I can-,” He started, but Nick cut him off, placing his skeletal hand on Gage’s arm. Gage fought back the urge to pull away.

                “Everything is being done that can be, trust me. Now you’ll be no good to our girl if you can’t shoot straight when we have to go get her back. Go on up to her place and at least eat something. I’ll find you when I hear anything at all.” Nick soothed. Gage eyed him momentarily before casting his gaze down in defeat. The man was right; he would be worth fuck-all in a fight right now. Nick was turning to go, cigarette held between two fingers, almost forgotten. Gage stopped him with a grab at his trench coat.

                “Nick wait.” He said, the words coming out as though without his permission. The synth turned back to him, startled by his demeanor.

                “She’s pregnant Nick.” He blurted. He wasn’t even sure why he was telling him, he just felt that he had to. That someone else had to know. Know that they weren’t just rescuing Olivia alone. Someone else had to know what was at stake.

                Nick’s eyes widened slightly, but quickly returned to their normal look of pleasant interest. He nodded slowly, as though digesting this information. Then he looked at Gage, with a stare that told him that the synth understood. He understood all the unspoken things that went with the revelation of Olivia’s pregnancy.

                “We’ll get her back, Gage. We will.”

 


	21. The Gambler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! The saga continues! I wanna give a shout out to MinJi, whose comments keep me motivated to keep going on Gage and Olivia's story!

                Being in the shack that Olivia built and filled with all the random odds and ends of her travels through the Commonwealth seemed to just renew all the fear and uncomfortableness he felt. Closing the door behind him he felt enclosed, claustrophobic. He had a moment where he thought he might turn around, run back out into the street, find somewhere else to be. He took a deep breath instead and stepped forward, his legs threatening to give out from under him. He stripped his armor off, dropping it with his rifle and pack on the floor by the door, before sitting on the bed, the metal frame creaking under his weight.

                He hated waiting. He felt like he should be out there, tracking, hunting, finding her. He knew deep down that Nick was right, that if he didn’t rest, even a little, he would be useless when it came time to actually move, but even knowing that, he was restless. Looking around the shack just made the feeling worse, so he lay back on the bed. Olivia had actual pillows and blankets on this bed, painstakingly found and cleaned. They smelled like she did, and he closed his eye, drinking it in.

                He hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep until a loud rapping noise woke him. He could tell from the light outside that it was late afternoon; the light filtering in was dull orange and getting dimmer. He sat up, cringing at the tightness of his muscles but pushing the feeling aside, focused on nothing but the task at hand. He ripped the door open to find, not Nick, but Preston standing there, his usual outfit traded for casual clothes, his hat gone.

                “They found them. South a ways, just outside Lexington.” He said, turning without another word. Gage gathered his armor and weapon and followed the man out, adrenaline already beginning to course through his veins. They walked out of the settlement, meeting a man by the Red Rocket. He was wearing sunglasses, even in the rapidly fading light, and Gage thought he might be wearing a wig.

                “If we hurry we might be able to make it before they start moving again. They were stopped when I left; very tiring business, kidnapping and torture.” The man jabbed, with only a cursory glance at Gage. He didn’t care though, instead focusing on the ground as the three jogged south for what felt like forever, finally slowing as they reached a ridgeline about 30 minutes outside Sanctuary. Gage could see a couple people milling about, and MacCready on the ground, his rifle lined up and his face pressed to the scope. As they came up, the sniper rose, turning to them.

                “Man, you’re not gonna like this.” He said icily to Gage. He furrowed his brow at the shorter man and stepped forward, ripping the rifle out of MacCready’s hands, ignoring his protests. Gage carefully knelt and snuck towards the edge of the ridge, pressing his good eye to the barrel of the scope. He found the group easily, about a mile or so away from them. They were still stopped, all strewn out in a long line the way Raiders usually traveled. He found Connor easily; the man had found some Power Armor somewhere, or maybe had it hidden in the ruins and went back for it after retrieving Olivia. No chance of taking him out from afar.

                He kept scanning, stopping briefly on each person to check for familiar traits. He finally found her, flanked by two scrawny looking Raiders towards the middle of the line. He could see her fairly clearly, even through the distance. She had been stripped of her armor and jacket, forced to walk through the Wasteland winter in nothing but her undershirt and jeans. That wasn’t what made the breath catch in his throat though.

                He would have missed it, except at that moment she turned her head just right, making the gleam of the exploding slave collar catch the early evening light. He focused harder, making sure that what he was seeing was true, that it wasn’t a trick of the eye, that he wasn’t seeing things. But he wasn’t. There, around her perfect, small neck, sat a bomb that Connor almost certainly held the detonator to.

                Gage squirmed back before he stood to avoid being seen. He turned slowly back to the group who were watching him intently. MacCready wrenched his gun back, annoyed. Gage barely registered it.

                “Not so nice seeing it from the other side, is it?” MacCready sneered. _That_ , Gage registered. He turned to the mercenary and without thinking about it, pulled his arm back and let his fist collide with the younger man’s face.

                The punch was powerful, but ultimately was more for show than anything. MacCready stumbled back, tripping on the uneven ground and landing in an unceremonious heap on the ground. He swore, something Olivia had once told Gage the mercenary didn’t do. Gage shook his hand, the reverberation from hitting MacCready’s jaw finally making its way into the pain center of his brain. By this time, MacCready had staggered to his feet, his face beet red, vengeance lighting his eyes.

                “What’s the big idea you-,” He started towards Gage, fist balled for a fight. Gage steeled himself, but a voice broke the tension up.

                “Hey, you two wanna actually help Olivia, or do you wanna tear each other apart? Because right now I can’t really tell which.” Nick said, his voice pitched low. They might be a ways away from Connor and the Raiders, but Gage knew how far sound could travel if the wind was right. MacCready stepped back, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and checking for blood. Gage scoffed. He had missed his nose on purpose.

                “Now Gage, we have a plan, but it’s gonna take everyone cooperating for it to work. Think you can manage that at least for tonight?” The synth asked, making a point to look at MacCready as well.  The two nodded sheepishly, and the synth shook his head in dismissal of the situation.

                “Alright. So we have two Brahmin packed up and ready to go. There’s a group of Minutemen with them and they-,” He started, but Gage stepped forward, hand raised.

                “No. Connor knows she’s with the Minutemen. If he sees them coming he’ll-,” Gage spoke, but the detective spoke over him.

                “Right Gage, we know. That’s why they’re dressed just like a group of traders. The plan is for them to “accidentally” cross paths with the Raiders as they cross the railroad tracks west of here. The Raiders won’t be expecting that big of a fight from them, and to them, they just look like your average caravan. That’s when the rest of us will come out, joining the fight when it’s already begun. Hopefully in the distraction they won’t notice the reinforcements coming in.” Nick explained. Gage considered. He didn’t like anything to do with this situation, not when his only thought was the silver bit of metal resting around Olivia’s neck.

                “What if Connor just decides to blow the collar?” MacCready asked tactlessly. Gage shook his head.

                “If Connor thinks it’s a regular trading caravan-that they aren’t after Olivia and he thinks he can beat them-he won’t kill her. He needs her, and he’s close. He’ll be getting impatient. He’s come this far, he won’t throw it away now if he doesn’t think he has to.” Gage explained. MacCready eyed him contemptuously, but shrugged in agreement. Gage turned to Nick.

                “Still, I don’t like that he’s got the detonator. If something happens, if he figures it out-,” Gage said, but the man in the sunglasses stepped forward, holding a small box in his hand.

                “That’s my job.” He said, holding the box out. A Stealthboy. Gage frowned at it.

                “Deacon’s the best in the business. He’ll get the detonator.” Nick said confidently. Gage thought a moment, and then nodded.

                “Alright. When do we move?” He asked. It was quiet for a moment, and then Nick piped up.

                “ _’We_ ’ don’t move anywhere. You have to stay back, Gage.” The synth said. Gage let out a bark of a laugh.

                “The hell I am. I’m going down there.” He defied. Nick shook his head.

                “You’re too… recognizable. If Connor sees you before we have the detonator…” Nick said, voice trailing off.

                “Then I’ll change, I’ll hide, whatever. I ain’t stayin’ back.” He sputtered. Nick thought for a moment. He must have decided better of the argument, for he nodded.

                “Fine. But you have to lose the armor. And the eyepatch. And find a baseball cap or something. And you go in the last wave, with me.” He conceded. Gage agreed.

                “Alright, then everyone get ready. This is gonna be messy.” Preston said, and the group turned from the ridge to prepare for the fight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man oh man, things keep getting crazier! I just wanna say, I know it seems like I've been treating MacCready badly in this fic, but I just want to show the depth of how the two men don't like each other. I really do love MacCready! I just think he and Gage wouldn't get along at all.


	22. I Fall to Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, and thanks to everyone for continuing to follow this story! I hope you all like this next part, it's a bit of a long one!

 

                The minutes leading up to the caravan moving out were some of the longest Gage had ever experienced. He knew that Connor wouldn’t stay put forever, and it seemed like the group was taking their sweet fucking time in getting ready, though Nick assured him they were just making sure all their bases were covered.

                He checked the magazine of his rifle for what felt like the thirtieth time in five minutes. Nick was next to him, his trench coat and fedora traded in for some less conspicuous clothing. It was odd, seeing the synth like that. But it must have been odd for the detective to see him as well, with the flannel shirt he found and black cloth tied around his eye. He found a ratty baseball cap that covered his mohawk, but it made him feel restricted somehow, as though his already impaired vision was cut off further.

                “They’re gonna start moving again soon, Nick. We gotta go or we’ll lose our chance.” Gage said, shifting impatiently in the fading light. Nick made a small noise beside him, looking over towards the bulk of their group, all crowded around two loaded Brahmin. He nodded to himself.

                “It’ll be soon, Gage. I think they’re waiting for them to start moving so they can meet in the middle somewhere. If they’re still stopped it will seem strange that traders would just walk up on them.” Nick explained. Gage huffed and looked off in the direction of the Raiders, though without a scope, he couldn’t see much. His heart hadn’t stopped hammering since seeing Olivia with the collar on, and he was ready for this all to be over. He was ready to have her back.

                “When things start moving you need to keep your head, Gage. It won’t do any of us any good if you charge in there, guns blazing, and get us all killed in the confusion.” Nick lectured. Gage eyed the man, but nodded. Coming from anyone else, he probably would have dismissed, or even retorted, but this was Nick, and Gage knew he was right.

                Suddenly there was a whistle from the group, and Gage and Nick turned their heads simultaneously to look. The Brahmin were being ushered towards the Raiders. The first wave was moving with them, looking remarkably like they were supposed to; like traders. Gage took a deep breath, trying to dispel the fluttering feeling in his chest. He shook his hands out and looked at Nick, who nodded at him.

                “Ready to get our girl back?” He asked. Gage nodded, and the two walked towards the ridgeline to watch and wait. Gage was antsy, the sweat springing up on his palms, even in the cool winter air. He wiped them one by one on his pants and watched as the caravan made its way towards the Raiders. The evening was darkening so that not much was visible, though he knew they would know when the fight began. The lasers and barrel fire would be evident in the dark.

                After a minute Nick turned and nodded to him, and the two carefully picked their way down the ridge, getting closer to where the fight would soon be, but still far enough away to stay unnoticed. They were close enough to hear now when the caravan came to a stop at Connor’s orders. There was a tense moment of silence, and then the first shot rang out.

                Gage’s mouth went dry as the sounds of the fight spread over the flat ground and met their ears. Nick had told him they would be the last ones to go in, as the two most recognizable figures. The second wave would go in right after the first shots, and they were to wait just a few more moments after that. It seemed to take forever, watching the sparks and streaks of lasers in the near distance. He could have the ground covered in only a moment or so the minute Nick gave the signal…

                “Gage. Now.” Nick said, and Gage was already moving before the second word was out of the synths mouth. His rifle held at the ready he bolted headlong towards the fight, which was going at full tilt now, shots and yells ringing in the cold air. It wasn’t completely dark yet; the last lines of orange streaked the horizon, giving just enough light to make out the Raiders from the rest of them.

                He barreled into the fray, knocking down the first Raider he saw and loosing a shot into its head. He turned with a fury to find his next target, blood pulsing in his temples. He was about to move when something caught his eye. A Raider, the weapon raised in his arms, shooting into the crowd with reckless abandon. It was the weapon that caught his attention. In the dying light of the evening he could still make out the five painted scratch marks in the butt of the shotgun. The scratches that Olivia had carved every time the two of them had taken down a Deathclaw. Olivia’s shotgun.

                He spun towards the Raider and ran him down, colliding into him with a force that left the Raider stunned on the ground momentarily. Gage couldn’t see the Raiders face; it was masked by one of the sack radiation masks some of them made, but he heard the soft “ _oof_ ” that came from him. Gage brought the barrel of his gun down and shot into the mask, once, twice, three times. The body jerked with each shot. The rage of the whole situation came boiling up inside Gage, blinding him with a white heat that blocked everything else out except the Raider on the ground. The one who had dared to take Olivia’s weapon and use it against her own people. The one whose head he had decided to turn into mush.

                He brought the butt of his rifle down into the mask over and over again, feeling the sick crunch of bone and brain beneath it. The strikes reverberated up his arms, but he didn’t care, he only felt the anger inside him, at the gall these Raiders would have at taking Olivia from him. At taking her and his kid and threatening their lives. He swung and swung until the mask was unrecognizable, crushed and covered in red and brown stains, and then he swung some more.

                It was only when he heard a voice coming from the din around him, high and clear in the evening air that he stopped. He turned towards it, stooping to pick up the shotgun from the battered corpse, listening. As he did, he could see that the tide had turned in the Minutemen’s favor, with the Raiders either running or dead around them. Vaguely he realized there was no sign of Connor, but his concern for that was short lived as he heard her voice call out again. Olivia. But it wasn’t his name she called.

                “Nick! Nick where are you?” She shouted, and Gage stepped forward into the group in order to see her. They had all gathered now that the fighting was mostly stopped, in a semi-circle. As he broke through, he saw they all stood a good fifteen feet away from her. Giving room just in case the bomb that still encircled her neck was to explode. He could also see her stomach, no longer hidden under jackets and armor, very very evidently pregnant. No longer a secret now.

                “Nick!” She called again, and he saw she was keeping it together well, though there was a light of panic in her eyes. Her lip was split badly, but she appeared otherwise unharmed. He began to step towards her when the detective’s voice met his ears.

                “I’m here doll, I’m coming.” He said, and Gage found him fighting his way through the crowd. Nick approached her carefully, and she smiled a bit.

                “Get this fucking thing off me.” She said, a little quieter. Nick nodded and came around her, hands going to the bomb on her neck. Gage only wondered for a moment why she had called Nick and not him; looking down he could see his own blood-stained hands shaking from anger and the adrenaline from the fight. Even from here he could see that Nicks were steady, calm. Just what was needed to disarm a bomb.

                “I have the detonator.” Came the voice of Deacon from the crowd, and he held up a small box in his hand delicately. There was a murmur of relief from the crowd, but the tension still electrified the place as Nick worked. It seemed like an eternity before the collar clicked, and slid into the synth’s hands; dead.

                There were cheers from around him as Olivia spun and caught Nick in a crushing hug. Gage felt every fiber of his being long to grab her, to pull her to him, to drink her in and make sure she was alright. He knew this wasn’t the place though. As she broke apart from Nick, he watched her search the crowd, she found him, and her eyes softened, but that was the only indication she had seen him. He walked towards her, as he had many times before. Not to embrace, not as a lover, but as a partner, a defender. He raised the shotgun to her as he neared her, and their fingers brushed as she took it from him, her eyes boring into his. There would be time for reunions soon. Now, she needed to lead. He took his place right behind her as she turned to address the crowd.

                “Thank you all so much for coming for me. You have no idea what this means to me.” She began, her voice strong, with only a small waver to it. There were murmurs of assent from the crowd, but they allowed her to go on.

                “I owe you all so much. But for tonight, let’s just go home. I’m sure you all worked really hard to get me back, and you deserve a rest for that. Sanctuary is open for anyone who wants a place to stay tonight-hell, however long you want after that rescue.” She said, getting a few laughs from the crowd. Someone had found her a flannel to pull over herself and she wrapped it tighter around her. She was barefoot, but there was not much to do about that until they got back to Sanctuary. She insisted that after crossing most of the Commonwealth with no shoes, the quick jaunt back to the settlement would be cake.

                As they regrouped for the journey home, they found they hadn’t lost a single person, much to Olivia’s delight, and only a few were injured in any way. Gage gleaned from overheard conversations that the Raiders didn’t expect them to fight back at all, and most didn’t even have weapon’s drawn when the fight started. Connor had bolted pretty quickly after things went south for him, though not before Deacon could nab the detonator from him. That was a problem for another day, however.

                The lights of Sanctuary came into view in what seemed like no time compared to how slowly the rest of the day had moved. Gage was grateful for this; the only thing he wanted now was to have her in his arms, to run over every inch of her with his hands and make sure she was alright. He hated being this close to her and not being able to touch her, but he knew it was what had to happen.

                It seemed like a long time as she said her goodnight’s to everyone and made sure double guards were posted for the night. Gage knew that Connor was running, that he wouldn’t be up to another fight for a while, but it was better safe than sorry.

                Finally after she said goodnight to Preston, MacCready, and Nick, with a tight hug for each of them, the two of them were left to retire to her shack alone. He was so aware of her as he opened the door and let her in ahead of him. He almost felt like it was a dream as the door closed behind him, and then her mouth was on his, desperate and wanting. He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her so close that a part of him was afraid of crushing her. Her tongue broke into his mouth, exploring lustfully, and her hands roamed his body. He tried to pull away, to look her over again, but she didn’t release him. He felt one of her small hands run over the waistband of his pants and brush against his cock. He stepped back in surprise and grasped her arms. She fought to get back to him.

                “Olivia, what-,” He started, but she broke from his grasp and went for his pants again. He stepped back once more, almost toppling a table. She glanced up at him, lust veiling something else in her eyes.

                “C’mon, Gage. We always do this. One of us almost dies, and then we fuck. C’mon.” She said huskily, but her voice broke in a way that made alarm bells ring in his head. He caught her arms again and made her look at him.

                “Olivia, stop. Talk to me. What did he…” Gage started, trailing off because he didn’t know if he wanted to know the answer. Hoping he didn’t already know.

                “Gage, c’mon…” She said weakly, her arms falling limp in his grasp. He could see tears welling in her eyes and he had to fight down the rage that threatened to boil up once again.

                “Olivia, tell me.” He said, setting himself to hear whatever she would tell him. Her eyes searched his for a long time, glassy with tears that had yet to spill over.

                “Nothing. Gage… he didn’t fucking do anything to me.” She whispered, letting the tears finally come. He didn’t know how to feel, but an odd sense of relief welled up inside him. She collapsed against him as sobs wracked her body. He guiding her to the bed and sat, pulling her close to him. She cried for a long time, and he listened, stroking her hair, his heart breaking. Finally her weeping died to sniffling and she sat up, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

                “Olivia…” He said, as though in request for answers. She sat close, almost in his lap, her hands wrapped around one of his, staring at it. She took a hiccupping breath and glanced at him, eyes bloodshot and resigned.

                “After he took me he started saying all the fucked up stuff he was gonna do to me. Smacked me around a bit.” She started, her voice so small in the still of the shack. She gestured to her lip, swollen and split right below her nose. He closed his hand around hers, feeling her fingers trace the lines of his.

                “But when they stopped for the night and he came… He took my jacket off and saw…this.” She said, gesturing to her stomach. Gage swallowed hard. There was a lantern lit in the corner of the room, casting dull light onto everything around them. Gage could see the pulse beating in her neck.

                “He seemed… disgusted by it. Maybe scared, but I think that’s the wrong word. He just… didn’t want anything to do with me. At least physically.” She said softly. She turned her gaze to him.

                “He asked if it was yours. I never told him, but he knew. Then he… he started telling me things. Told me all the fucked up shit you did when you ran with him. The things you had to do to get into his crew.” She said, and she cleared her throat. He blinked, unsure of what to say. He knew the game Connor had been playing. It was true-what he had done in Connor’s crew was some of the worst stuff he had ever done, even by Raider standards. Connor telling Olivia all this was only a ploy to hurt her. To try to make her hate him, make her hate who he was even more than she already did. He could only hope it hadn’t worked.

                “Then he started telling me all the things he would do when he killed me. Telling me he would find you and… Fuck Gage I can’t repeat the shit he said to me. It’s just…” She trailed off, and he nodded, squeezing her hand.

                “You don’t have to. It’s okay.” He said, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable. She sniffled.

                “He didn’t let me sleep. He would let me get close then wake me up, douse me in water, or let off a shot close to my head. I wasn’t looking forward to another night of that.” She said with a feeble attempt at a laugh.

                “It was just this morning when he put the collar on me. He would toss the detonator around. From person to person. Act like they were going to drop it, pretend to press the button.” She said, her face hard again. Gage listened, all the while ticking out mental tally marks on all the things he would do to Connor before he killed him. As if he needed any more reasons to destroy the Raider.

                “Gage I…” She started, her eyes meeting his again. They were dark, pools of fear and anger at letting herself be treated that way. He knew the feeling. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her fully to him, his hand grasping the back of her neck, holding her as if she would disappear if he didn’t. She cried again, softer this time and he held her tightly until she was done. She pulled back and pressed a hand to his cheek, looking at his face. She smiled slightly and tugged on the cloth piece he had for an eyepatch.

                “You look like a pirate.” She said, and he shot her a quizzical look, unsure of what she meant. She dismissed it, instead planting another kiss on his lips, this one soft and gentle, one of true gratitude at being reunited. It had been less than two days, but it had felt like an eternity.

                “I knew you’d get me back.” She whispered. He smiled at her, so contented by the weight of her near him, the smell of her, that he almost couldn’t believe it was real.

                “I’d have killed every one of them bare-handed to get you back, Boss.” He said, wiping a thumb across her cheek, smearing the grime there with her tears. She leaned into his touch.

                “Hell of a group of friends you got though, I’ll say that much.” He said, choosing to leave out the fact that had MacCready and Preston had their way Gage would have been on his own. She hummed in agreement. The sounds of the night were seeping in from outside, making him drowsy. He knew they were both exhausted, but something in him wanted to stay awake, to keep this small bubble of just the two of them forever. He knew the next day would bring more responsibilities, not just from the settlement, but from what they would do next. He wanted this moment, this happiness at having her back, having her whole, to last forever.

                “I’m so tired, Gage.” She said finally through a yawn and reluctantly he nodded, letting her get up and strip off her dirty clothes. He followed suit, not opting to redress like they usually did before climbing under the covers together. She snuggled close, stealing the heat from him as she always did, and he reveled in the feeling of her skin against his. He let his hand trace soft circles on her arm, before draping it over her and pulling her as close as he could. The swell of her stomach impeded her from getting as close as she could before, but he wasn’t upset by this. In fact, it was oddly comforting, the three of them sharing the space so intimately.

                They fell asleep almost instantly, tangled in each other’s limbs.


	23. All Over Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo much talking in this one, but the next chapter comes with action! We're winding up for the big finish, are you ready??

                When he awoke the next morning, sun was filtering in through the cracks in the roof, warming his face. He blinked, momentarily forgetting the events of the day before. He was sore, desperately sore, and starving. He wiped a hand down his face to dispel the remaining sleep and propped himself up on an elbow, surveying the room.

                The empty room.

                His heart skipped a beat as the memories came flooding back to him, and he started to panic as he realized Olivia was gone. He tossed aside the blanket and scrambled to find his clothes, finding and replacing the black cloth with his metal eyepatch. He grabbed his pistol and crammed it in the waist of his pants before ripping the door open and stepping outside into the settlement.

                It didn’t take much searching to find her. She was down by the stream, leaning against a crumbling wall, back towards him. She was alone, staring at something she held in her hands. At the sight of her his breathing came back to normal and he calmed himself. He knew he would probably never feel totally okay with her being out of his sight until Connor was dead, no matter how inconvenient that was.

                “Thought we left notes now?” He said, though he regretted it when she jumped, her hand going automatically to the place in the small of her back where she kept her gun. She dropped her hand when she saw him and smiled, but the reaction still jarred him.

                “Sorry, I thought I might be back before you got up.” She said, turning back to face the water. He saw now she was holding a small book in one hand. It was a children’s book, blue with colorful letters adorning the cover. She saw him looking at it and held it out to him, smiling shyly.

                “It’s the only thing of Shaun’s that survived the war.” She said in explanation as he took it, feeling the thick cardboard of the pages. It said “You’re Special!” across the front. The edges were dinged up a little, but it was remarkably well intact for being 200 years old. He handed it back to her gently, and she took it, hand drifting over it as if it was sacred.

                “Y’know, when I was this far along with Shaun, I had names picked out, a crib. My mom was planning a baby shower for me.” She said, speaking more to the book than to him.

                “Baby shower?” He questioned, unsure of what she meant. She chuckled softly.

                “It was a party that people used to have. Welcoming the baby and congratulating the parents. They would bring gifts and play dumb games, that kind of thing.” She said. Sounded stupid to him, a waste of time and energy, but it only cemented the difference between her time and this one; as if it needed more cementing.

                “I was just thinking about how fucked up everything is. About how I can’t bring myself to think of naming this baby because I’m not even sure if I’ll be alive tomorrow. Because any number of things could happen to it, or me, or you, and there’s not a damned thing I can do about it.” She said, her voice low. She was staring out over the water now, and he could see a tear tracking down her face. She had cleaned up somewhere; the dirt was gone and her hair was smooth again, curling lightly around her ears.

                “There wasn’t anything either of us could do when Connor came. I had to go with him. It was dumb luck you got away. Luck that he didn’t blow me up before you found me. Luck that the fight went in our favor. There’s someone out there that wants me dead-no, more than dead. He wants to break me down before he kills me. He wants to inflict the most pain and suffering that he can before he kills me. And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” She said, her voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper now. Gage shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to this side of her. Olivia was always strong, always had a plan. She never allowed herself to be defeated this easily. When she was backed into a corner, she fought back until she got out. Gage was afraid, not just because she was right-Connor was out there, and he was a real threat- but because she seemed to have given up.

                “And I think it wouldn’t be so bad if this hadn’t happened.” She said, gesturing to her abdomen. She hadn’t bothered to hide it today. The swell was clearly visible under the flannel over shirt she wore; her jacket unzipped and hanging loosely. “I think I could face it, or at least come to terms with it if I wasn’t dragging a baby into it too.”

                Gage touched her arm, unsure of what to say. If he really thought about it, this was all his fault. He was the one who had forced her to become Overboss at Nuka-World. He was the one who had guarded her, made her clear parks, and forced her to stay when she had so clearly wanted to leave. Hell, he could go further back and say that if he had gone back to kill Connor when he had the chance 20 years ago, they wouldn’t be in this situation either. But hindsight is 20/20, and none of that mattered now.

                “What are we supposed to do, Gage?” She said after a time, and the tone of her voice almost broke his heart. She was so small, so tired. He pulled her close to him, glad he had left his armor back in the shack so she could come close.

                “We kill the fucker. We hunt him down and we kill him. Together.” He said. He felt her tense against him, and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

                “Easier said than done.” She said from below him. He let out a grumbling laugh.

                “Most things we do are, Boss.” He answered. She pulled back and looked at him, face serious.

                “We have to do it quick. I’m not gonna be useful for very much longer.” She said. He glanced down briefly to her stomach, and then met her gaze.

                “Quicker the better. At least we know where he’s hiding out now. Just gotta get a plan together to smoke him out.” Gage said. She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his torso. He could feel the bulge of her between them, and laid his hands across her back, gently pulling her closer.

                “Promise me one thing, Gage.” She said, and her voice held an edge that brought him to attention.

                “Anything Boss.” He said, though he was wary of what would come next.

                “Promise me you won’t let him take me again. No matter what you have to do. Don’t let him take me.” She said, almost pleading. He swallowed hard. He knew what she was asking.

                “I promise Boss.”

 

 

 

                They spent the next few hours mired in awkward conversations between Olivia and different people around the settlement. Most of the settlers seemed to accept the fact she was pregnant, some even congratulated her (most still chose to tactfully ignore him). MacCready was nowhere to be found, to Gage’s relief, and Preston was making his rounds and didn’t have much time for conversation. Gage made a point to thank the man anyways, and to his surprise Garvey accepted the thanks, even shaking Gage’s hand in a tight, quick fashion.

                The day was winding down when they stumbled across Nick. He was speaking with Deacon, who had a backpack loosely hung from one shoulder. The man nodded at the two of them as they approached, then hiked the bag higher onto his back.

                “Leaving already, Deeks?” Olivia asked as they came into hearing distance. Deacon shrugged, running a hand over the back of his neck in mock sheepishness, his sunglasses glinting in the afternoon light.              

                “Duty calls, y’know. Taking you back from a bunch of Raiders was fun and all, but now it’s back to the people who really need my help. Unless you’re planning on returning to your previously prisonered state?” He joked. Olivia scoffed, huffing air quickly out of her nose.

                “Not planning on it. No. You know you’re welcome any time, Deeks.” She said, stepping closer to the man. Gage watched, standing close to Nick as Deacon shrugged again.

                “C’mon Charmer, you know me. I’m like the wind. No one knows where I’ll turn up next. Plus I don’t wanna crowd it here, seeing as you’ll be adding another mouth to feed soon.” He said with a slight gesture to her midriff. Olivia rolled her eyes at the man.

                “Don’t go blaming me for your wanderlust, Deacon. Just stay out of trouble, okay?” She said, voice softening. Deacon’s eyebrows shot up at this.

                “Charmer, you of all people should know that Trouble is my middle name. Or maybe it’s Danger. I can’t keep it straight.” He said through a smile. Olivia let out a quick laugh; a sound that Gage realized it had been too long since he had heard. Gage watched Olivia as she bid Deacon Goodbye, and threw a hand up himself as the man turned to leave. They watched him as he disappeared behind some houses, heading towards the bridge out of town.

                “Y’know you could have told me, Doll.” Nick said, pulling the two of them back to the present. The synth was sitting down now, and Olivia joined him, sitting across from him at an old wooden picnic table that Olivia had salvaged from somewhere. The cold air nipped at his face, but the sun was still out enough so that it wasn’t unbearable. Gage stayed standing, taking a place behind Olivia as he often did, choosing to watch her and her reactions as well as being able to survey the area around them. It was tactical as well as a personal preference.

                “It wasn’t that simple Nick, I- we, didn’t want people to be upset. Well-more upset. I didn’t know how we were gonna handle…things.” She said, feebly trying to explain herself.

                “A baby is a hard thing to hide for very long. Unless you weren’t planning on coming back here.” He said, and it was phrased almost like a question, as though Nick were wondering if indeed that had been the plan.

                “No, Nick. Sanctuary is my home, you know that. I would have told people eventually, I was just hoping I could figure out a way that they could warm up to the situation before I just out and told everyone.” She explained. Nick leaned back, eyes flitting to Gage briefly before alighting back on her.

                “You mean you were hoping they’d come around to the idea that a Raider was probably gonna be sticking around longer than they hoped.” The synth posited. Olivia nodded.

                “Gage has been coming around here for more than a year, doll. If they haven’t come around to him yet, they probably won’t. But they also aren’t gonna riot in the street over it. Especially now that they’ve seen the distance he’s willing to go to keep you safe.” Nick said. Gage shifted uncomfortably under the weight of that statement. Olivia glanced over her shoulder to him, locking eyes for a moment before turning back to Nick.

                “I just don’t want them to think I betrayed them. To think I chose Raiders over them. I want them to know I’m the same person as before.” She said, voice dropping low. Nick let out a small laugh.

                “You’re not the same person though, Olivia.” The synth said. Olivia’s head shot up, her eyes meeting the synths with intensity, questioning.

                “You think I didn’t see the way you acted when you came back from the Institute that last time? When the dust had cleared and the fanfare went away and you were left with the reality of what everything meant now? You think that I spent the amount of years that I have as a detective and couldn’t see what the endgame was for you before that dumb song came up over that Pip-Boy of yours?” Nick asked, watching Olivia. Gage swallowed hard, knowing what Nick meant. They had only spoken of it once, after he told her how he felt, after she found him the day after.

            _“I was gonna make sure my settlements were stocked and defended, then I was gonna go find a nice vista somewhere and take a shitload of psycho.”_

                He had known what that meant. He knew what it meant now. Olivia Flynn, Savior of the Commonwealth, Sole Survivor of Vault 111, Overboss of Nuka-World and god only knew what else had been planning to kill herself so she didn’t have to deal with the loneliness. So she didn’t have to face this fucked up world alone. And Nick knew it too.

                “I don’t care what the rest of these people think, Olivia. Going to Nuka-World was the best damned thing that could have happened to you. Meeting him-,” Nick continued, pointing at Gage. “-saved your life. And if people, Garvey included, are too stuck on the fact he’s a Raider to see that, well that’s their own damned fault.” Nick said, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket. He looked at them briefly, and then decided against it, sliding them back into the jacket he wore.

                “Now, don’t get me wrong, I definitely wouldn’t mind if your profession was something a bit less…controversial, but we take what we can get.” Nick said, directly addressing Gage now. Gage let the corner of his mouth twitch up, but just nodded at the synth. Nick returned the gesture before looking back at Olivia.

                “See what these people don’t understand, or _won’t_ understand; rather, is that you being Overboss out there is the best choice, aside from the whole place just not existing. And that won’t be an option anytime soon. I think this rescue of yours probably helped some people come around, but honestly, out here people hear “Raider” and they want to run, or fight.” Nick said.

                “I know that, Nick. That’s why we didn’t want to tell people.” Olivia said, voice small.

                “Well, they know now. And they’re gonna have to get over it. Because the only reason they’ve got a place to sleep that they don’t have to worry about Raiders or ghouls or any other thing this Wasteland had to throw at them is because of you. And if you ask me that means you get to do what you want. Other people be damned.” Nick said. Olivia was quiet as she took this in, picking at her fingers. Gage once again thought about how much he really liked Nick Valentine.

                “Now the next question-,” Nick started after a while, “-is what we’re gonna do about this Connor guy. Seems to me like he’s not gonna be the type to just give up. Not while he thinks he can get what he wants.”

                “No. He won’t. That’s why we have to go after him. Now, while he’s reeling from that ambush.” Gage said, speaking for the first time in the conversation. Nick laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them.

                “Just you two going? Is that a good idea?” The synth asked. Gage stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest. He was about to speak when Olivia cut him off.

                “Probably not. But it’s the only one we’ve got. We have to go now, while we know where he is and while I’m still useful. If we can get the drop on him, thin out his numbers a bit then we might have a chance.” She explained.

                “Even if we don’t kill him, and goddamn if that ain’t the plan, we might still be able to drive him out of the Commonwealth. Convince him that Nuka-World, and Oliva, is a wash. Send him back down to the Capitol or something.” Gage said. He spoke, knowing that the words were only partially true. Gage was gonna hunt Connor down and skin him alive if it was the last thing he did.

                “You know where he is?” Nick asked, intrigued. Olivia nodded.

                “Down in Vault 95. Near the Glowing Sea.” She answered. Nick raised a synthetic brow.

                “You mean where you took Cait all that time ago? The place that was full of Gunners?” He asked. Olivia nodded in response.

                “Should have scrapped it when I had the chance. Turned into a good Raider hideout I guess.” She said. Nick nodded slowly.

                “At least you know the terrain then. So when do we leave?” The detective asked nonchalantly. Both Gage and Olivia’s gazes snapped to him.

                “Nick, you don’t have to-,” Olivia started.

                “You think I’m just gonna sit back and let you two charge into the den of a crazed Raider by yourselves? Especially with you in your current…condition?” He said, and Olivia scoffed.

                “Nick I’m not in any “condition”, I can still shoot and run and-,”

                “ ‘ _And_ ’ nothing, I’m coming with the two of you and if you think otherwise then I guess we never really knew each other, kid.” Nick said, his voice rife with finality. Gage smirked. The synth was stubborn, reminded him of Olivia a bit. He was a damn good guy, human or not.

                “Fine. I guess three people are better than two. We’re leaving soon though. I just want this all over with.” She said, and Gage nodded slightly in agreement.

                “I can be ready day after tomorrow.” Nick replied. Olivia nodded solemnly.

                “Can’t ever say I’m bored around you, doll.” Came Nick’s voice as they got up to leave. Olivia chuckled.

                “I guess that’s a running trend.” She said, and her eyes met Gage’s, bright and determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, so sorry this took so long to get up. So much has been happening it's been crazy! I had to go out to Las Vegas for a job interview, and now I've been planning a cross country move, along with having some minor surgery on my foot, I have just been in a thousand different places! I really apologize for this taking so long to update, but now I have some time again before things get crazy, so I'll be writing and updating back at a more regular pace! Thanks for sticking around!!!


	24. Walkin' After Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter awaits!

                Vault 95 sat on the edge of the Glowing Sea. It was so close to the radioactive no-man’s-land that Gage could see the eerie green glow on the horizon, and if he concentrated, thought he could feel the rads beginning to tingle under his skin. He worried about Olivia; her body was less used to radiation than his was. She assured him she had been fine the last time she had been here, but popped a couple extra Rad-X pills, just to be safe.

                They had decided to approach at night, just to give them another edge in the fight they were heading into. The light of Olivia’s Pip-Boy had guided them most of the way, but now as they sat only a few hundred yards from the entrance, it was pitch black. The only light was from the dim stars overhead, and the fires that the Raiders had started near the Vault. He could see the gear shaped door from where they crouched, hidden behind some trees.

                “How many are outside, you think?” Olivia whispered from beside him. He had been trying to count, but his distance vision had never been great after the loss of his eye, not without a scope. Nick stood carefully and looked, taking a minute to survey before crouching again.

                “Looks like maybe 5 or 6. There are two up on the scaffolding above the door, then two closer to us. One, maybe two inside the door walking around.” He answered, voice low. Olivia nodded before pulling her bag around. She rifled around inside for a bit, finding what she was looking for. Gage heard the clink of metal and knew it was her grenades.

                “We all take one. We spread out, and then toss them one at a time. Hopefully the two up top come down to hunt us down, then whoever is last can take those two out. Then we just take out any stragglers with gunfire.” She said, placing the grenade into Gage’s hand deliberately.

                “Won’t they hear the grenades? Know we’re here and come out?” Gage asked, even as he put the grenade into his own bag. Olivia shifted next to him, handing the other explosive to Nick.

                “No. The actual vault is deep underground here. This is only the entrance. At most they might have some way of communicating down into the vault, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. They’ll probably try to rely on the turrets and traps left over from when I cleared out the Gunners here.” She said, matter-of-factly. Gage nodded, knowing no one would see him. He trusted Olivia; she of all people would know how a vault operated.

                “Okay, so I’ll go right, Gage, go left, and Olivia stay here. Olivia; throw the first grenade, try and hit the two outside the vault. Then I’ll go when the couple inside come out. Then Gage will finish off the rest. Regroup when they stop shooting at us.” Nick said, and Gage heard the click of the synth’s safety coming off.

                “Sounds good. See you boys in a minute.” Olivia said, brushing Gage’s arm briefly before giving him a light push. Gage swallowed hard and began moving to the left, alternating between watching the ground and watching the vault. He could see vague movement from the Raiders, moving slowly and lazily outside. They were on watch, but not expecting anything.

                He found his way to a copse of bushes along the left side of the vault and crouched, waiting to hear the explosion of the first grenade. He wiped his hands on his pants, and then pulled the bomb from his bag. He had no doubts about Olivia hitting her target, nor Valentine. He was more concerned with what came after; if indeed no one did hear them, and they got down into the vault unscathed, what would they find?

                He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of the first grenade exploding a few yards ahead of him. He snapped to attention, listening as the Raiders from the top scaffolding began shooting wildly into the night. He had thought Connor might have his crew better trained than that. He was relieved to be wrong.

                Almost perfectly to Olivia’s plan the Raiders converged on where the grenade had exploded, coming to try to find where the bomb had come from. As the two from the entrance to the vault flooded out, Nick’s grenade came flying in with an audible noise as it hit the dirt, only to explode seconds later, taking the Raiders with it.

                The Raiders from the top scaffolding were almost finished scrambling down now, and thought they had a bead on where the bombs were coming from. As soon as their feet hit the ground they were running in the direction of Nick, guns firing with no pretense of aim. Gage pulled the pin on his grenade and held it, waiting a short time before lobbing it in an arc that would hit the ground. His timing was perfect, and the bomb hit the ground right at the feet of the Raiders and exploded at the same time.

                He sat in silence for a moment, listening to hear if any more came out from the vault in front of them. Olivia and Nick must have been doing the same, for he didn’t hear movement from either of them for what seemed like a long time. Finally, he heard rustling to his right and saw Olivia peak around the bush he was crouched behind.

                “I’m pretty sure we got them all. Nice throw.” She said, even as Nick came up behind her. His eyes glowed eerily yellow in the dark, and Gage tried not to be put off by it.

                “So are we ready to go down there and end this thing?” Nick said, his oddly toned voice pitched low. Gage stood, ignoring the protests in his knees.

                “Yeah, but first I really gotta pee.” Olivia said, causing stifled laughter from the two men.

                “What? You try carrying a kid around sitting on your bladders all day and try not to piss all the time.” She said, heading off in the direction of some bushes.

                “Yeah whatever just hurry up.” Gage said, finding this break in the tension to be good for his nerves. He thought this might have been Olivia’s plan with the diversion, but nevertheless he silently thanked her for it.

                It was only a minute before she was back beside them, and the small group was heading up the slight slope to the vault’s entrance. The enormous gear-shaped door loomed large and shadowy in the light from the fire barrels. It made his own skin crawl looking at it-and he hadn’t spent 200 odd years inside of one. He glanced at Olivia. The dim light from the barrels cast dark circles under her eyes, and he could see the paleness of her skin. He knew from experience that she wasn’t a fan of vaults, and he didn’t blame her.

                “Alright there, kid?” Valentine asked from her other side. He must have seen the look on her face as well. She gave them both a forced smile and picked up her pace a bit.

                “I’m fine. Let’s just not hang around here longer than we have to, okay?” She said. Gage exchanged a dark look with Nick, who nodded at him slightly. They were ready to face whatever was inside, and they were ready to defend Olivia if need be. Gage thought distractedly that fighting next to Nick would probably be the safest he ever felt in a fight, aside from going in beside Olivia.

                Their footsteps echoed on the metal walkway as they passed under the large metal circle of the vault entrance. They carefully picked their way over the remains of the Raiders, finding themselves in the dimly lit entrance way of Vault 95. The number was painted on everything, from the door to the wall panels, even on some of the boxes that hadn’t been looted and broken down. Olivia walked forward, with a determination of someone who knew what they needed to do, and where they were going.

                “This is the elevator here. It will take us down in to the vault proper. Once we’re down there, there will be a sort of entrance way, then some halls, then we’ll make it to the main hallway. From the hall there are several different ways to go. We’ll have to pick one when we get there. There’s no telling where Connor is gonna be.” She said, turning to the group.

                “You’re sure they haven’t heard us? Been alerted somehow?” Gage asked, wary. Olivia shook her head.

                “The vault, if it’s anything like 111, is over 200 feet in the ground. It had to protect against ground penetrating bombs, permeating radiation. A little grenade action wouldn’t affect it at all. No, they’re probably down there asleep, or playing cards or whatever it is that Raiders do when they’re not out pillaging.” Olivia said, facing the elevator panel again. She reached out a pressed the red call button.

                “They probably ain’t sleeping, that’s for sure.” Gage said. Olivia shot him a “not helping” look as the doors opened. The group stepped in. Gage suddenly felt very claustrophobic. Nick slammed his skeletal hand down on the door button, and the centuries old doors creaked shut, enclosing them in almost complete darkness, save for the soft glow of Olivia’s Pip-Boy.

                “If things go tits up, we regroup outside where we threw the grenades from.” Nick said. Gage almost laughed at the uncharacteristic language, but just grunted in acknowledgement. He felt the elevator begin to slow, and heard the other two begin to ready their weapons. He did the same, pulling his rifle off his shoulder and settling it in the crook of his arm.      

                “Let’s do this.” Olivia said, and the doors shuttered open.

 


	25. The Fighting Side of Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really was gonna wait to post this chapter but I got too excited. So here it is!

It was eerily quiet.

                The first Raider they had encountered was asleep, passed out in a drunken state in the corner of the first hall. Gage quietly slit his throat, thankful that the deep slumber the Raider was in prevented any sort of last ditch gurgling. He had expected to hear _something_ , Raiders mumbling to each other or themselves, the arguments that a crew often had amongst each other. Even the softer sounds of drinking and fucking, but they heard nothing. It was almost as though no one was occupying the place.

                From the look on the other’s faces he could tell they were expecting noise as well, and it made them as uneasy as it made him. They crept along the corridor, keeping tight to the walls, weapons held steady in front of them. It was dimly lit, enough so they could see, but not so bright as to be obtrusive. Olivia stopped as they rounded the first corner, holding a fist up to signal they should stop too.

                “This is the hall. There are a couple Raiders I can see, but I think they’re about the same state as our friend back there. There’s a downstairs area where there may be more.” She whispered, pointing the couple prone bodies out. They were slumped in chairs, draped over tables. Suddenly Gage knew exactly what was going on.

                They had tried to mutiny.

                He remembered this tactic from before, when he worked with Connor as a kid. Whenever someone got the bright idea to try to take control from Connor, he would kill a few people, then he would pass around chems and booze until the rest of the crew was drunk or stoned out of their minds. When they came-to again, they were happy, having been given what they wanted and the instigators taken care of. He would be willing to bet that after Connor came back empty handed, with no Olivia and only a few of the crew he set out with, someone here got uppity, and he had to calm them back down.

                He relayed this to the other two, and Olivia grinned, her teeth flashing in the dark. She made another survey of the hall before looking back to them.

                “Lucky us then. Still, stay quiet and low. We don’t want to alert the one Raider that decided to stay sober this time.” She whispered before slinking into the large open room. They dispatched the few Raiders there before quietly climbing down the stairs into the lower room. There were a few Raiders, mostly strung out as the others. One moved, causing Olivia to jump.

“What the-?” The Raider said, having just enough time to prop himself up on an elbow before Gage’s knife slid into his throat, right under his ear. The rest of the Raider’s sentence died on his lips.

They regrouped back on the top level, by the stairs that lead upwards. Gage wiped his arm across his brow, dissipating the sweat that had gathered there. They were having some extreme dumb luck so far. It made him nervous.

                “Which way should we take?” Nick asked, breaking the silence. Olivia looked down at her Pip-Boy, scrolling through pages until she reached a map. It showed a rudimentary outline of the vault, something that had been invaluable to them in the past. She pointed past them, up the stairs.

                “That way is the Overseers office. It’s a dead end, and aside from Connor’s ego I don’t really see a tactical reason he would be there.” She said, her eyes meeting Gage’s for a moment. Her arm shifted to a door behind them, one with a computer beside it.

                “That way goes to facilities. There’s a cave system down there as well. He might be down there, but I’m leaning more towards that way.” She said, pointing to another door on the opposite wall.

                “That’s Residential. There are lots of rooms and halls and places to hide, so we’ll have to move slow and check everything.” She said. Nick nodded.

                “You think he’ll be there?” Gage asked. Olivia shrugged.

                “It’s as good a place to start as any. After getting his ass kicked like he did I’d imagine he’d be somewhere trying to sleep it off or something.” She said. Gage grunted. He seriously doubted that. If he knew Connor-and he did- Connor was already planning what to do next. His crew turning on him likely would be making him more irritated, and therefore more dangerous. Still, he had no reason to suspect Connor to be anywhere else, so he stepped forwards, towards the door.

 

 

 

 

                The residential wing had been a wash. More drunken Raiders. A couple of them sober enough to try to put up a fight, but nothing major. Hell, he and Nick even caught two mid-fuck. _Had to be a good way to die,_ he thought.

                Olivia had been right. It was a mess of rooms and tunnels and halls and shit. It took them the better part of an hour and a half to clear. Gage was getting antsy. How long would it be before Connor tried to rally his troops? How long until someone came through who was sober enough to pose a threat? This was going too well. He wasn’t used to things going this well. They were systematically wiping Connor’s crew off the map, and fuck if he wasn’t downright giddy about it, but it just seemed too easy.

                Until it wasn’t.

                It happened as they were leaving the residential section. Happened so fast Gage barely had time to register anything. The door was in sight, the hallway outside visible in the dim light. They were walking quietly, but at a decent clip, eager to move to the other side of the hall and clear the facilities area when they heard a noise behind them.

                “What the fuck!” Called the first Raider. Gage had no time to turn to look. He vaguely heard another Raider cry out as well, and knew Olivia and Nick were turning to face them, but his attention was caught by something else.

                He had been walking ahead of the other two, taking point. He had been almost to the door to the hall when he saw him, across the large room, coming out of the facilities wing.

                Connor.

                Gage’s legs were moving under him before he even consciously told them to. Connor’s look of surprise only lasted a minute before the man was turning and bolting, leaving Gage with half a room to cover to catch up.

                “Gage!” Olivia called from behind him, her voice ringing over the shots they were exchanging with the two surprise Raiders. He didn’t have time for it. Nick would take care of her, help her. His mind was singly focused on chasing Connor down. On killing the Raider. He chased him down a set of stairs and into another hallway. He flung himself around a pillar, almost tripping on an upturned box. When he righted himself he had lost the man.

                His heart was hammering in his chest, weapon held tight to his body. He was flying blind here, without Olivia’s map, and Connor knew exactly where he was. He turned quickly into the nearest room, a cafeteria of sorts, with benches and tables flipped and upturned everywhere. He heard footsteps, multiple Raiders running past the windows in the hallway outside and he flattened himself to the floor, avoiding being seen. They would run into Nick and Olivia, and he hoped they were still too stoned to shoot straight.

                “Well, well, well. Ask and ye shall receive, eh Porter?” Came Connor’s icy voice from above him. He turned to see the man at the door across the room, the one he had been heading for before having to fall to the ground to hide. Connor had a .10mm pistol trained on his head.

                “Connor. I’d say it’s good to see you again but-,” Gage started.

                “Shut your fucking mouth, Porter. Stand up.” He barked. Gage did as he was told, slowly. His hands held out even as his rifle swung against his waist, the strap still fastened over his shoulder. If he was fast, he might be able to…

                “Your little girlfriend here too?” He asked, a sick smile coming to his face. Gage just stared at him, trying his best to convey “fuck you” with his eyes.

                “Don’t matter. Even if she ain’t I’ll find her. She won’t have you to rescue her much longer.” Connor said, pulling the hammer back on the pistol. Gage’s heart leapt into his throat. Suddenly a Raider burst in behind him. Unfortunately Connor was too well trained; he kept the pistol barrel trained right between Gage’s eyes.

                "What?!" Connor snarled at the Raider. She gathered herself, taking in Connor and Gage before addressing her boss. 

                “I don’t know how many of them there are Boss, but they’ve killed everyone outside of this block. Everyone in residential and the main hall is gone.” The Raider squeaked, her voice wavering with chems and fear. Connor let out a noise between a yell and a roar, stepping forward and shaking the pistol at Gage.

                “You fucking idiot! What the fuck did you do!?” He howled. Gage had just enough time to hear gunshots up the hall behind him, when the look on Connor’s face changed.

                He smiled.

                “Goodbye Porter.” He said, and the blood froze in Gage’s veins.

                He pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy what a cliffhanger! Please don't hate me! I'll have the next chapter up soon, I promise!


	26. Desperado

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a shorty! But more is coming soon, I promise!

 

 

                Gage never put much stock in religion. He never wasted time believing in heaven or hell, because he always knew if he wasted time on those thoughts, he’d be in the ground faster than you could decide which one you were going to. He knew the general premise though, and knew the route he’d be taking if he ended up wrong.

                If the headache he was currently fighting meant that he was in hell, he’d give just about anything to go back and redo everything, give up all the women and booze and chems. He groaned, though the escape of sound vibrated his head just enough to send lightning bolts of pain splintering through him. He tried to hold back, but a whimper escaped his lips.

                “Gage? Oh my god.” Came a whisper from somewhere close. It was dark. Very dark around him. He was laying on something soft, probably a bed. He felt the air next to him shift, and someone touched his arm.

                “My fucking head…” He managed to grunt out. The hands left his arm momentarily, and were replaced by the sharp prick of a needle. Relief flooded his veins as he recognized the Med-X that had been injected into him doing its job. He breathed deep, feeling the throbbing ebb to a manageable level.

                “Fuck, Gage. How do you feel?” The whisper came again. He tried to turn his head but it was dark all around, must be sometime at night.

                “Where am I? Where’s Olivia?” He asked, fighting his raw throat. It felt like he hadn’t drunk anything in ages.

                “I’m here, Gage. Drink this.” She said, and something was pressed against his lips. He greedily drank the water, trying not to protest when she pulled it away.

                “Slow. Go slow. You were shot in the head.” She soothed, her hands returning to his arm.

                “Yeah. I figured that out. Why’s it so damn dark in here?” He asked. Olivia was quiet, not moving beside him.

                “We weren’t sure if you’d wake up, Gage. You’ve been out for almost a week. Curie said-,” She started, but he cut her off.

                “Dammit, Olivia turn a fucking light on. It’s pitch black. I wanna see you.” He said, struggling to sit up.

                “Gage, stop moving. Please just…just stay calm.” She said, her low voice changing tone momentarily. He could hear the unease in it. Suddenly it hit him.

                “Olivia. Where am I? What time is it?” He asked, his hand finding her arm and gripping it tightly. He felt how tense she was under his touch and it made his heart race.

                “You’re in the Fizztop apartment. Back at Nuka-World.” She answered quietly. He struggled to wrap his head around it. If they were here, there should be a light on. Even if it were night out. He should be able to see something.

                “Olivia. Why can’t I fucking see anything?” He asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she tried to stifle a sob.

                “Gage… You were shot in the head…” She said, as though that would explain it. As though that made any sense of the thoughts that ran through his mind. He sat up, fighting against her protests.

                “Curie said it will come back. Your vision… it’s just getting shot messed something up and it will take time to-,”

                He didn’t hear the rest of what she said. He ripped himself out of the bed, sending things around him flying. He heard them hit the ground but didn’t care. He spun, anger seething from every pore in his body, turning his skin hot and his body unstable. He reached for anything and found the bed; grabbing the frame he upturned it, causing a crash that shook the room. Olivia was calling to him, her voice shattered by sobs. He had no thoughts for that right now.

                Connor had done it. He had taken his sight from him. He had tried to take everything, wanted to, but in failing that had succeeded in taking the only thing that made him worth anything in this fucking world. His head throbbed as he spun, arms outstretched looking for the next thing to destroy, the next thing to take his rage out on. He found the bar, grabbing glasses and pitchers and smashing them everywhere, heedless of the shards that cut into his feet as he did so.

                “Gage stop!” Olivia screamed, but he went on. Smashing and careening around the room until the only thing keeping him upright, the Med-X, coursed out of his system. He fell to the ground in a heap, clenching and unclenching his fists. His body ached, the sudden use of it after so long in bed a strain on his muscles. He heard Olivia stifle her cries and move towards him. He set his face, stony, unmoving.

                “Did you kill him?” He whispered as he heard the scrape of metal next to him. He could feel the change in the air next to him and knew she was there, though she made no noise.

                “Olivia. Is. He. Dead?” He asked, though somewhere inside he knew the answer.

                “We… we looked, Gage. He was just gone.” She finally whispered. Gage scoffed, letting his head fall back and hit the wall behind him.

                The bastard had won after all, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, I'm thinking there are about 3 chapters left in Olivia and Gage's story here! Maybe 4 if I split them up differently, but we're winding up for the big finale!


	27. Stand By Your Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gift for you all, my lovely readers!

                Gage didn’t ask what had happened. Olivia had tried to tell him, told him that when they found him, bleeding from the head wound they had already taken out most of the raiders. Nick had searched the place for Connor but came up empty. He had either hidden himself well or had another escape route. He hadn’t cared to hear about the rest.

                Every now and then someone would come by. A woman that Olivia called Curie. Apparently a doctor, or as close to one as could be managed, she came every now and then and poked and prodded at him, telling him that his vision should return, but she couldn’t tell him when. He did his best to ignore her.

                This time was no different. Curie came in, poked at his head, told him to “stay optimistic!” in her strange accent. He ignored her, as per usual. This time though, she spoke with Olivia before she left, inside the apartment where he could hear.

                “It’s been three weeks, Curie. Are you sure it will come back?” Olivia asked, trying to whisper. Gage’s hearing was compensating for the loss of his vision, apparently. He heard her just fine.

                “Yes, quite sure. The bullet entered near his temple, but didn’t go very deep. When I extracted it I am quite sure that I saw that nothing was ‘armed, aside from the superficial. I believe his optical nerves shut down simply as a form of protection against damage. I ‘ave read about it before. Unfortunately I cannot tell you when it will come back. Just that it will.” She said, her voice pitched low like Olivia’s. Gage grunted and began to tune the rest of the conversation out, when he heard Curie speak again.

                “And what of you, Olivia? You need to be taking care of yourself. You do not look well.” The doctor said. Gage pricked his ears at this. Olivia had been by his bedside non-stop since he woke, making sure he ate and drank, even encouraging him to get up and walk around, though he always refused. He had been so lost in his own head that he had almost forgotten about the baby she carried.

                “I’m fine Curie, really. I’ve just been inside a lot, so I’m a little pale, y’know?” Olivia answered, trying to keep her voice light, even in the whispered tone.

                “You should let me look at you, you are looking thin and-,”

                “Curie, I promise I’m okay. Let me take you to the train and you can come back next week?” Olivia said, moving towards the door. Gage heard the two leave, and then he was left alone once again.

                He wasn’t unused to being alone. Olivia had left him on his own many times since he woke up, as she had to go and take care of things in the park. He didn’t know what she was telling people about him, if she was telling them anything. Every day she would wake up, make him eat, then leave for a few hours, come back to check on him, make him drink water and sit with him, then leave again. She would return in the evening, make him eat once again and then go to sleep. She slept out on the patio, claiming she wanted to give him space.

                He didn’t know why she was still here. He told her multiple times in the first few days that she should leave, that she should forget about him and go back to Sanctuary. He was no good to her anymore. What could he do now, with no vision? In the Wasteland, that made him useless. As a Raider, it made him a target. There was nothing he could do for her, and especially nothing for a kid. Yeah, the doctor kept saying his vision would come back, but it had been almost a month with no change. What if it came back in 10 years? He would be dead by then, and Olivia too, if she stuck around.

                He sighed as he heard the door open again. He recognized Olivia’s footfalls, alone this time. She puttered around the room for a moment before coming to sit next to him. It was quiet again. The silence permeated the air, making his ears ring. He couldn’t take it.

                “Olivia, are you eating?” He asked voice gruff from disuse. Olivia shifted next to him, and he heard her sigh.

                “What do you even care, Gage?” She finally said softly. The words cut through him like ice.

                “What do you mean, ‘what do I care’? I told you that you should just leave, go take care of yourself and-,”

                “And what, Gage? Raise your kid by myself in Sanctuary? Call you a lost cause and leave you up here to starve yourself to death?” She asked, and though her voice was quiet, he could hear the anger in it.

                “Well what the hell else are you gonna do? Sit up here and force feed some asshole who can’t see, can’t shoot a gun or take care of you?” He spat back. He heard the chair scrape the floor as Olivia stood up quickly.

                “I have told you since we met that I can fucking take care of myself, Gage. I didn’t fuck you so that I’d have someone to take care of me! I didn’t fuck you so you’d be my bodyguard!” She said, letting her pitch raise.

                “I know that, Olivia but I’m dead weight now, there ain’t nothing I can give you that-,”

                “How about you let me decide what you can and can’t give me, Gage? How about you let me decide for one fucking time what I want to do with my life? How about you let me decide to keep the one good thing that’s fucking happened to me since I woke up in this hellscape?” She yelled, and he could tell she was leaning over him. He sat up, reaching out and grasping until he found her arm.

                “Cause that ain’t how it works out here, sweetheart. You decide to drag me around with you like this and all you’re gonna end up being is dead.” He snarled. She tried to rip her arm away but he held fast, digging his fingers in. He could feel now that Curie was right. Her arm, usually toned with the muscle of a warrior, was slightly withered. He could touch his fingers and thumb in a circle around the limb. It made his heart skip a beat.

                “Well guess what Gage, if I don’t have you, I don’t want to live in this fucking world anyways.” She hissed. He let her wrench her arm away from him now.

                “Olivia, that ain’t-,” He started, but didn’t know how to finish. He heard her moving away from him.

                “I’m going to run the perimeter. I’ll be back later.” She said, and he could hear the tears in her voice. Then the door slammed, and he was alone again.

 

 

 

                He felt like an asshole. And he knew he should. He knew how Olivia felt, how afraid she was of being alone in the world. But he couldn’t help but think about how none of that mattered. If she stuck around, had the kid, stayed with him, she wouldn’t be alive to be alone. And he couldn’t have that guilt on him. If he didn’t have his vision (and nothing in the last 3 weeks told him he would be getting it back any time soon) then he was a burden. Nothing more.

                Yet he still couldn’t figure out a solution. He knew she wouldn’t leave, and he couldn’t leave. He supposed he could stop eating, just waste away, but there was no way she would let him do that…

                He was still pondering hours later when she returned. She came in quietly, and he heard the soft rustle of her shedding her jacket and bag. He sat up on the bed, turning to the sound she made, desperately trying to see anything through the darkness. He ran his hands along the rough fabric of the pants he wore; some pre-war things Olivia had called “pajamas”. They were threadbare, but comfortable, and the thin material distracted his mind as he played with it.

                More rustling. He wondered if he should say anything, or if he should wait for her to speak first. He didn’t really know what to say. Apologies would sound fake, insincere. From the sounds she was making he wondered if she was packing shit up, going to take his advice and leave. But then he heard her steps, quiet, barefoot falls on the aged carpet. He knew she was standing near him now, he could hear her breathing, calm and soft.

                Suddenly he felt her hand on his arm. She was cold, her fingers like ice as they ringed his wrist and pulled his arm up. He let her guide his hand, eventually placing it on her bare chest. His breath caught in his throat. She hadn’t just taken her jacket off; she had taken all her clothes off.

                “Olivia I-,” He started, but she cut him off with a bruising kiss, swallowing his protests even as he said them. He melted into the kiss, letting her probe with her tongue, returning the kiss, but careful not to be too eager.

                She came forward, her knee coming between his legs, brushing the fabric that hid his rapidly hardening cock. Her other hand brushed his jaw, sending a shiver up his spine. His hand cupped her breast, feeling the heaviness of it, the change in size since the last time he had her in his bed. The change intrigued him, made him all the more eager for her.

                She broke the kiss only when he brushed her nipple with his thumb, causing her to gasp a bit. He let his hands roam to her hips, letting memory guide him instead of sight. He could feel her hipbones, slightly more pronounced than before, and a pang of guilt shot through him. She felt his hesitation and moved, pressing her hand against his chest to push him back onto the bed. He let himself fall back, and squirmed as she moved on top of him, her nipples brushing against the bare flesh of his chest.

                “Gage, come back to me please.” She whispered into his neck, placing small kisses here and there, trailing down to his collarbone. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling himself strain against the pants he wore and desperately wanting to be rid of them. Olivia kept kissing, her lips and fingers tracing lines down his torso, leaving streaks of fire wherever she roamed. His hands traced lightly up her sides as she moved slowly down, until she was leaving lightning kisses at the waistband of his pants.

                “Fuck-,” He moaned as she slid the thin fabric down over his hips, letting his cock free from the constriction. He sucked in his breath at the change in temperature, and almost jerked when her mouth closed around him. Her mouth was hot and wet, and she slid her tongue expertly along his shaft, sucking and bobbing rhythmically. He twisted his hands in her hair, the soft curls giving him something to focus on so he didn’t lose it immediately. She was good, very good, going quickly before slowing down again and lazily using her tongue to tease the tip.

                He was close, very close, when she pulled her mouth off of him, and he almost let out an embarrassing whimper. She moved quickly, planting a chaste kiss on his mouth as she straddled him. His hands found her hips once more as she lowered herself onto him, slowly, inch by inch. He gritted his teeth as he felt her come around him, tight and wet, taking all of him. It had been too long since he had had her, and he fought to keep control, letting her set the pace.

                “Fuck, Olivia.” He said as she finally sheathed him fully within her. She sat for a moment, bent over him and he could smell her, sweet and acrid from the day’s events.

                “I don’t care if you can’t see. I don’t care if you can’t hear, or speak, or anything. I want you, Gage. Only you. No matter what.” She said, breath tickling his ear. His hands squeezed her hips, the only acknowledgement he could give, but that was enough. He felt some of the tenseness leave her, and she slowly rose up, pulling him out of her dripping cunt until just the tip was barely there.

                And then she all but crashed back down, burying him deep within her again. The feeling pulsed through his body, sending waves down his thighs. She didn’t stop, pumping him into her over and over, riding him mercilessly. He held on, guiding her up and down his shaft with his hands, toes curling as he tried to stave off his climax for just a little longer.

                She was so wet and tight around his cock that he could feel it as she got close to the edge. Her cunt began to pulse, starting the chain reaction that would milk him dry.

                “Olivia, I’m gonna-,” He moaned, and she sped up, her own voice coming in breathy gasps as she came to her own finish.

                Electricity sped through him as he hit his limit, spilling into her as she continued to ride him. She cried out, and he felt her squeeze tightly around him, riding out her release. He kneaded the flesh of her hips and ass, eyes clenched tight as the last waves of pleasure ebbed from him. She collapsed onto his chest. He could feel her heart slamming in her chest, just as his was. They lay like that for what seemed like forever as their bodies came into normal rhythm again.

                “I meant what I said, Gage.” She whispered finally, her head still resting on his chest. They lay still linked, feeling each other breathe.

                “I know. I’m sorry Olivia, I just can’t-,” He started.

                “I don’t care, Gage. I won’t leave. I need you.” She said, finally rolling off of him. She lay beside him, still touching arm to arm. He sighed; unsure of what to say next, when she took his hand again. Her fingers were warm now, heated from the activities of the moments before. She laid his hand on her stomach, letting it rest there alone for an instant. He realized how much bigger she had gotten, just in the few weeks since coming back here. He felt guilty for not noticing.

                It was quiet for a time, and they lay for a while like that, before Olivia’s hand came to rest on his again. She moved it, gently downwards towards her pelvis, and then pressed his hand into her belly. He fought back the urge to pull away, the instinct not to hurt her too strong, when he felt it.

                The barest flutter under his palm. A small bump, there and then gone as soon as he noted it. He stiffened, unsure for a moment that he had really felt it, that he hadn’t imagined it, when it came again. Stronger this time. The kick of his kid.

                “Is that?” He breathed, though he already knew. Olivia murmured assent from beside him, her hand still pressed over his. He rolled over, sitting as he did, repositioning himself to put both hands over the bulge of her. She squirmed, and then settled, moving his hands to the right positions before pressing his hands down. They came again. Quick, jerky movements under her skin, deep within her.

                “We need you.” She whispered. He swallowed hard, feeling the life move in her. The life he helped create. Damn if it didn’t make him question all his life choices up until that moment. The choice for her to stay with him or go.

                He knew the choice was already made for him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Olivia always seems to know just what to do for Gage! Here was a cute moment (after a particularly steamy one). I hope you all are still enjoying, feel free to leave comments or critiques below, they help me make sure you're all still enjoying these two and the story I'm weaving them into!


	28. Ain't No Grave

                They quickly fell into a sort of routine. Olivia ran the park during the day, leaving him at Fizztop with small tasks he could complete alone, then coming back and filling him in on all the things she did, all the business of the park. Olivia had some of the Disciples go out and recon Vault 95. It was empty now, the bodies of the dead Raiders left where they fell, nothing else taken away. She had them scrap most of it for parts to bring back to Nuka-World.

                There were no other signs of Connor.

                Even Jolene’s traders, who came through every now and then had heard nothing. It seemed as though he had simply disappeared. Olivia was convinced they had driven him away, killed most of his crew so he had no other choice than to leave. Gage knew better than that though. He knew what it would take to make Connor stop going after something he wanted. He would have to be dead before he gave up. This knowledge made Gage uneasy. But as time went on, his tensions over the situation eased, to be replaced by new concerns.

                The first being what they were going to do when it came time for the kid to come. Olivia was adamant about staying at Nuka-World for the time being. She said it was because she felt useful there, and in Sanctuary after fixing the few things the settlers needed, she would be bored. But he knew she wanted to stay at Nuka-World because it was safer for the two of them. He thought that was a funny thought, feeling safer amongst Raiders than with your own people, but with him in his current state, she was right.

                He was glad Olivia had garnered such respect from the crews, and continued to do so. He often thought about how easy it would be for one of the factions to decide to take over, with him blinded for the time being and her slowly becoming more and more obviously pregnant. There seemed to be no dissent in the ranks, however, and it even seemed that Olivia and Mags were growing closer than ever in the months they were spending in the park.

                There was another, more literal light at the end of the tunnel as well. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he was beginning to regain his sight. It began with being able to barely register the differences in light. Only the brightest lights would come through at first, direct sunlight or Olivia’s Pip-Boy light. And then slowly subtle light differences began to shine through, and he could often tell the time of day, or if a door was opened. He still got splitting headaches, but those were coming more and more infrequently as time went on. He hoped those would disappear as his sight came back more.

                Now, about three months after being shot, he could distinguish shapes, and even was beginning to see colors again. In the evening time, before the light was completely gone, he and Olivia would play games where she would hold an object up for him to try and guess the shape and color of. It helped, or at least he felt like it did. Curie, the doctor, stopped coming as often, but still dropped by occasionally, though he had a feeling she did so more for Olivia’s well-being than for his.

                Olivia, now back on track, was huge. At about 8 months pregnant now, she wanted nothing more than to be done with it, often coming back from rounds with Mags dead tired, sore, and grumpy. Gage did his best to help her, cursing the fact that he couldn’t go out in her place, let her relax, stay out of danger. He told himself that Mags would pick up his slack, as it seemed she had. Mags was the first to learn about what happened to Gage, and the one who helped them explain it to the other bosses. The woman was proving herself invaluable.

                Today Gage was playing target practice while Olivia was out. She had fashioned him a large piece of wood with huge red rings painted on it, big and bold enough for him to see, even with his blurred and distorted vision. He had knives and would throw them at the board, trying to get as close to the middle as he could. He played this game mostly when he was alone, so there was no danger of a knife going stray and hitting someone.

                He had a nice streak going. He couldn’t tell exactly where the knives were hitting, but he could hear the “ _shunk!”_ of metal sinking into wood on most of his throws, and this satisfied him. At least he was hitting the board. It was a dim day out, threatening rain as the weather began to warm. Spring was in full swing in the Wasteland, though mostly that meant rain, and more radstorms than usual. He had hoped that today would be sunny; his vision did better in the sunlight, but he could feel in the air that the day would probably stay overcast and dark.

                A streak of green in the distance caught his eye and for a minute his heart leapt; seeing color that far away had been something he had been working on for a while. Upon the realization that a radstorm was approaching, his countenance changed. Olivia hated radstorms, especially this far into her pregnancy. They creeped her out and made her skin crawl. She was not as used to radiation as he was, and it was apparent.

                He sighed and threw one more knife. This one went wide, and he heard it skitter to the floor in the corner of the room somewhere. He swore under his breath and began to walk after it, only to be stopped by the sound of the lift coming up. He waited, stock still, listening to the clanging and grinding noises the thing made.

                “Gage, just me.” Came Olivia’s voice as the sounds quieted. She always announced herself now, knowing it put him more at ease when it was just her, and not any of the Raiders from below. He let some of the tension out of his shoulders as he tried to make out her form moving closer to him. The lift began the noise again as it went back down to its ready position on the ground, fading away as it moved.

                “Hey Boss. Saw that green, did you?” He said, grinning slightly. He couldn’t quite make out her features, but could see her stop, face turned towards him.

                “Yeah, I did. Did you?” She asked incredulously. He nodded enthusiastically.

                “Holy shit that’s awesome!” She said, and she stepped closer, coming into his outstretched arms. He kissed the top of her head, reveling in the scent of her, and the fact he could see the dark brown strands of her hair, now short again. She pulled back from him and he squinted, the act giving him the ability to see her smiling at him.

                “I mean, the radstorm is most certainly not awesome. But the fact you saw it is! It’ll be no time until you’re back to normal!” She said, voice cheery. He shrugged, pulling away from her and gesturing to his board.

                “I think one or two are lost in this damn patio somewhere. Hitting it most of the time though.” He said, going to sit at the bar in the center of the room. Olivia followed him, stopping first to survey the board.

                “You’re getting most of them really close to the center too. I’m just glad I’m on your side.” She said. He chuckled slightly.

                “How do you feel?” He asked when she had taken the seat next to him. He heard her shift and turned his head towards her.

                “Eh, like shit. Even more so because of that storm that’s coming. I think I’ll be spending the rest of the evening inside.” She said. He reached out and touched her arm and she leaned into his touch. They sat that way for a moment before she stood, taking his hand in hers.

                “Let’s go inside and I’ll cook something up. We can eat and play “I spy”.” She said. He raised a brow at her.

                “The hell is “I spy”?” He asked. She chuckled as she pulled him into the apartment and off the patio. The room was dark and he stood still as Olivia lit the lanterns around the room that gave him the ability to make out general shapes of things.

                “It’s a kid’s game. I’ll say something like, “I spy something big and yellow”, and you have to try to figure out what I’m looking at. I think it might help your sight a bit.” She said, and he could tell she was tinkering around near their small sink in the corner of the room. Gage moved, partially by sight, partially by memory, to a couch on the other side of the apartment and sat. He squinted at her as she worked, trying futilely to bring something into focus.  He was beginning to feel the twinges of a headache and rubbed at his temples.

                “Guess we could try it.” He said quietly. The sounds from her stopped, and he raised his head, trying to hear what she was doing. She was moving and now was coming towards him. She came to sit next to him, and he soaked in the feel of her as she touched him, her leg and arm brushing against him. His sight might not be all that great right now, but his other senses had definitely done their jobs in his visions absence. He could hear the shitty stove on in the corner and guessed she was boiling something.

                “Are you okay, Gage?” She asked quietly, and he turned to her, making out the shape of her face, somewhat sharper now that she was close to him. He still couldn’t make out the color of her eyes unless his face was pressed very very close to hers, but at least he could tell she had eyes.

                “Yeah, I mean, I guess. One or two things I take issue with, but-,” He started. She shifted next to him, taking his hand and laying it across her stomach. She was bulging now, the kid moved almost constantly, and he had no problem feeling it now. She could even tell him what he was feeling sometimes; the head or a foot. It never ceased to make his heart skip.

                “But I mean are _you_ okay? Like you specifically. Not how you feel about the situation. But how you yourself feel.” She asked. He frowned. Leave it to Olivia to ask the existential stuff while she was making dinner. He still was not very good at the feelings shit. He thought he might never be.

                “I-I dunno, Boss. I ain’t used to people sticking around. I ain’t used to someone giving a shit, y’know? I guess after all this time running with you I should be but, sometimes I just wake up thinkin’ it’s all a big joke and one day you’ll be gone. Because that’s how it’s always been before. If anyone but you had to deal with me like this-,” He gestured to his eyes. “-they’d be gone before I knew what hit me, and if they didn’t kill me, all my shit would be gone too.” He said, letting the ghost of a laugh slip into his voice.

                “I’ve always told you I’m not just another Raider, Gage.” She chided, and he could hear the smile in her voice. He grinned sheepishly.

                “Yeah, but it ain’t that easy to just accept it when that’s all you’ve know your whole life.” He said. Olivia jumped as the first roll of thunder crashed outside. He squeezed her hand in reflex.

                “I mean, this world, the one you woke up to after being frozen, it had to take some getting used to, right?” He said, cautious about the territory he was crossing into. He didn’t like to bring up what had happened to her. It more often made her upset than anything.             

                “You could say that. Sometimes I think I’m still getting used to it.” She said, shivering as the storm grew fiercer. He let a smile cross his lips for a moment.

                “If someone had just told you to get used to it, to accept everything and have no doubt or questions or anything right after you had come out of that vault, would you have been able to?” He asked.

                “You know the answer to that is no. I think I spent the first two weeks out of the vault trying to figure out what the hell had happened, how I could fix it or make it more like the world I left behind. I mean, you see my place at Sanctuary. All full of Pre-War relics and comforts. No one else has that stuff anymore, because they don’t know how it used to be.” She said, and he remembered the shack she spoke of. Bobbleheads and curios, dolls and cameras and books. All things they would come across in the Wastelands that she would pick up. He had learned not to question it after a while.

                “Yeah so you see my point then. Except instead of stuff and things, its trust. I ain’t ever trusted anyone since I was a kid. That shit gets people like me killed. To spend the better part of 20 years of your life not trusting anyone, not giving anyone an inch- well, that does a number on ya’ when it comes time to try to trust someone again.” He explained. Part of him felt bad. He did trust Olivia. He knew that she meant what she said; that she wasn’t leaving and she would take him any way he was. It was believing it he always had a problem with.

                She stood and stretched, walking over to the stove. She turned off whatever it was and started bustling again. The storm was still going, but now quieter. The brunt of it must have moved over them already.

                “I understand Gage.” She said from across the room. He closed his eyes briefly, listening to the sounds of the room as she worked. If only his sight was back 100% he might venture to call himself happy.

                They were getting ready to eat when they heard the lift come to life on the patio outside. He looked towards Olivia, who made a sound of confusion at him before moving to the door. He followed her with his eye as she stepped out. Must be Mags or William with some important thing or another. Had to be important to get one of those assholes out here in a radstorm.

                He was getting up to cross to the door when he heard Olivia’s scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh can't these two just catch a break???


	29. To Beat the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, here we go!

               Gage could count on one hand the amount of times he had felt genuine terror before. Most of those times had been due to Olivia, from when Mason took her in Nuka-World, to when she had gone out to face Connor alone, hell; he had been terrified when she told him she was pregnant. This time felt worse though, more raw. The scream she had let out was horrific enough, but it was the way it cut off suddenly that made his heart sink into his stomach and his body lurch forward into an ungainly run towards the door.

                “Olivia!” He shouted as he flung himself onto the patio, barely missing a chair that he should have remembered was there. He scanned the area as best as he could with his awful vision. The light was almost gone, only a little remained on the horizon, as well as the light from one of the lanterns that stayed lit on the bar. Squinting he could make out the figures that stood near the lift on the other side of the bar from him. He knew without having to see detail who it was.

                “Let her go, Connor.” Gage growled as best he could through the fear and confusion he felt. Olivia (from what he could see) was being held by the man, his hand over her mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. His mind raced, wondering how he had gotten up here, questioning where he had come from, touching on so many points as it raced to figure out what to do next.

                “You’re fucking hard to kill, Porter. Thought my bullet through your skull would fix that, but looks like you got a guardian angel or something.” Connor chided through his surprise. Gage saw movement out of the corner of his eye and detected another Raider standing to the side of the man. He looked for more but didn’t see any, not that that meant much.

                “Well let’s just say I got a thick skull. Now let her go, Connor. You ain’t leaving here alive this time, so better just make it easy.” He said, knowing how idiotic it sounded. Connor was not going down without a fight. He just hoped the fight would end without Olivia’s death.

                “Nah, I don’t think so, Porter. See this bitch has cost me a lot. My credibility, most of my crew, hell I’ve had to spend the last couple months doing recruitment so I would have enough people to run this place when I finally got my hands on it. And recruitment is shitty work.” He said, and Gage saw a glint of something in his hand, a knife or a gun, he didn’t know. He cursed not being able to see Olivia, not being able to communicate even with his eyes to her.

                “So no, I won’t be letting her go. Nah, I think I’m gonna round up some of the Raiders down there and have me a little show. Think I might cut her open, show everyone the little bun she’s been growin’ in there.” He said, and his movements indicated he was touching her stomach. Gage stepped forward, his rage blinding his better judgement for a moment, but a squeak from Olivia stopped him.

                “Yeah, I thought that might get to you, Porter. See I’ve been trying to decide if it would be better to kill you first and make her watch, or the other way around. I’ve been leaning more towards killing her first, just for old times’ sake, though. Slice through that pretty neck of hers and watch her drown in her blood as she calls out for you to help her.” Connor hissed. Gage’s palms were sweating. He couldn’t see to make out what Connor was holding up to Olivia. If it was a gun, he didn’t want to make any sudden movements. If it was a knife, he might be able to rely on Olivia to outmaneuver Connor enough that he could overpower him, though that still left the other Raider.

                The decision was made for him as a rogue streak of green lightning lit the sky, followed by a particularly loud clap of thunder. The air rippled with radioactivity, making his skin crawl, and as it did, he heard Connor yelp in surprise.

                “That bitch bit me!” Connor yelled, and Gage could see a flurry of movement.

                “Gage now!” Olivia cried, and his legs were moving from under him before he knew he was telling them to. He was barreling at Connor’s shape, intent on knocking into him in the confusion. He reached the mass of bodies quickly and hit with a force that knocked the wind out of him. He couldn’t tell who was who in the fray for a moment, but quickly found Connor and locked onto him, intent on getting Olivia away from him.

                “Dammit shoot him!” Connor called, and the hairs on Gage’s neck stood up as he realized the other Raider must have a gun. He heard the safety click, but was solely focused on Connor, hands grappling at the man for control. He didn’t know where Olivia was until he heard a grunt of force from his right, and heard the other Raider’s quick huff of breath. Olivia was taking care of him, as much as she could, and he had to trust that she could deal with it.

                He was locked in a battle to the death with Connor now, he could feel it. The room spun in confusing colors and shapes around him, but he could make out the man fairly clearly from here. They were on the floor, rolling back and forth, each fighting to gain control over the other. Connor was older than Gage, but had the advantage of sight and experience. Gage had the size over him, as well as strength, but he wasn’t sure that would be enough here.

                Gage’s eye was frantically trying to process information, his brain trying to force it to focus enough to discern if there was a weapon in play still. He found that Connor still had a hold of the knife as the blade sliced through his arm, causing him to cry out. He grappled with the Raider, catching his arm and preventing the knife from hitting anywhere more deadly. He had to get it away from him, and he struggled to think of a way to do so. He tried to ignore the stinging in his arm, the blood that began to pour from the wound, threatening his grip with its slick heat.

                The struggle seemed evenly matched, and Gage tried to block everything else out to channel all that he had into besting the man. Every now and then he heard a scrape or a groan from somewhere to his right, indicating the fight Olivia was in was still going on, but he spared no glance for it. No, he was locked in combat with something more dangerous than anything the Wasteland had ever thrown at him. He could smell Connor’s sweat, mingling with his own, hear the man’s ragged breathing, and feel the straining of muscle as they wrestled. It seemed to go on forever. He was finally able to get the upper hand and smashed Connor’s hand against the ground until he let go of the knife, which went skittering somewhere around them.

                Gage began to notice he was hearing gunshots from below, somewhere in the park. Connor had brought more Raiders, they were waging a full on war now. He could only hope the Nuka-World force was stronger than Connor anticipated, that they had more Raiders than Connor had been able to recruit. He knew they would fight to the end for Nuka-World, but he seriously hoped it wouldn’t come to that, though in his current situation, it likely wouldn’t matter much longer.

                Suddenly he heard a metallic scrape near his knee. He quickly shot his hand down and grasped the knife, a serrated combat style one tight in his hand. He swung his leg up, collapsing Connor under him and planted his legs on either side of the man’s waist. He brought the knife up, poised over the Raider’s chest, Connor’s hands grasping at Gage’s wrists, preventing the descent of the knife. Gage could feel Connor’s strength gathering for another push, feel his legs scrambling behind him, trying to free himself. It was now or never, but he couldn’t get the leverage he needed. For an unending moment, they were stuck, locked in a near-death embrace, each one shaking and sweating at the need to kill the other.

                Gage was very nearly ready to give up, to jump back and try another tactic when something collided with his right shoulder. He almost lost his balance, but regained it as Olivia placed both her hands over his on the hilt of the knife and leaned all her weight onto it. He heard Connor gasp as the knife began to descend, the tip now touching the leather of his lightweight armor. The worn armor was no match for the deadly steel, and he could feel the small “ _pop”,_ as the leather gave way and the blade pierced through. Gage could hear Olivia’s harsh breathing beside him, and feel her shake as she pressed with all her might, joining her strength with his.

                “Fuck, Porter-,” Connor whispered as the knife dug into his chest, right over his heart. Gage felt as it entered flesh, felt the hot spurt of blood as it sliced deeper. Gage’s alignment had been good, and he felt the blade slip cleanly between the ribs, and finally Connor’s resistance stopped, and the knife slid all the way to the hilt, firmly planted in the Raider’s heart.

                Gage and Olivia’s hands both stayed on the knife until they felt the body beneath them stop twitching, heard the rattle of his last breath leave his lips. Only then did their bloodstained fingers peel away from the hilt. Olivia collapsed backwards, her breathing coming in hitching sobs. Gage reached out, grasping at her with a disassociated touch. He was caught between so many emotions, so many feelings; he didn’t know which to feel first.

                “Olivia-,” He managed to call, not knowing how to finish the sentence. He turned his head to see her, the shape of her next to him. He grasped her arm and pulled her to him. She folded into his embrace instantly, her hands roaming over him just as his did to her. This was not like their usual “almost died fuck”, this was only touch, only the reassurance that the other was there, was whole.

                “Stimpak. You need a stimpak.” She said shakily; hand running over the wound on his arm. He shook his head and held on to her, preventing her from leaving him.

                “I’m fine. I can wait. Stay here.” He said, hands going to her neck, cradling her head as he tried to bring her face into focus. As he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

                They sat like that for what seemed like forever, sticky from blood and sweat but not caring about anything other than each other, not caring about anything else except the feeling of being alive. It was only when they heard the lift spring back to life that they moved, slowly getting up, Olivia armed with the gun of the dead Raider. She had it pointed at the lift, ready to kill whoever chose to show themselves next.

                “Woah boss, if you aren’t careful with that you’ll put someone’s eye out.” Came William Black’s sarcastic voice from the lift. Gage let out the breath he had been holding and let some of the tension out of his shoulders. He heard Olivia turn the safety back on and saw her step forward.

                “William, where’s Mags?” Olivia asked, her voice hollow with adrenaline.

                “She’s down there cleaning up. Seems like you two had your own bit of fun up here, huh?” He asked, voice calm and collected as always. Gage scoffed.

                “I guess you could say that. What happened down there?” Olivia asked, all business, as though her life hadn’t literally been in a Raider’s hands moments before.

                “Same thing that happened up here I guess. These fucks got in, I think through the back pass somehow. There was about a hundred of ‘em I wanna say. Sneaky fuckers. Stayed quiet and hidden. We only lost a few guys though. I don’t think they were prepared for how many of us there are here.” He explained. Gage grunted, moving slowly to kick the body of the other Raider, also dead on the floor.

                “What about the other parks? Any word from them?” Olivia asked, coming back to stand next to Gage. He could feel the strain radiating off of her. She was very tired, she shook where she stood.

                “We’re radioing out and sending patrols. Don’t think they hit the other parks as hard as here.” William answered.

                “Okay I still want every park, including Nuka-Town searched thoroughly. You tell them down there that for any straggling invaders they find they’ll get extra caps or chems or whatever they want. I don’t care. I want to make sure they’re all dead.” She said, voice somber. William shifted, his face still unreadable to Gage, but he had to think the man was looking impressed at Olivia’s ruthlessness.

                “Alright boss, I’ll let ‘em know. Help me pull these fuckers onto the lift and I’ll take care of them for you.” He said, starting towards Connor’s body. Gage went to help him, pulling the two dead Raiders onto the elevator.

                “Burn them. Out on the island on the lake.” Olivia instructed as William climbed on with the bodies.

                “Sure boss. I’ll send Mags up later with more information when we got it.” He said, and then slammed the button, sending him back down into the park. They were alone again, the silence around them somehow both comforting and oppressive. She turned to him, and he wished nothing more than to be able to see her face, to be able to read her thoughts.

                “He’s gone.” She whispered, stepping to him. He reached out and touched her face, heedless of the dried blood on both of them.

                “Yeah. He is.” Gage replied, letting the magnitude of that statement sink in. Connor was gone. Olivia was safe, at least from him, and a decades old debt was finally settled. It didn’t feel real.

                “What now?” She asked before burying her face in his chest. She was trembling and he held her close, as close as he could with the bulge of her in the way. He came to realize he was shaking too, and suddenly so fucking tired.

                “Now we do whatever you feel is the right thing to do, I guess.” He said into the top of her head. She breathed deep, as though taking the first breath in a new age.

                “I wanna go home. I wanna go to Sanctuary.” She said after a while. He squeezed her tighter, the adrenaline of the past hour finally wearing off, letting him feel how sore and fatigued he was.

                “Then let’s go.”


	30. Right Behind You

 

                They spent three more days in Nuka-World, doing clean up and setting up for an absence. Olivia had spent the previous couple of months bolstering the parks and creating a self-sufficiency that the Raiders had never seen before, and they were bringing in more trade and caps than ever. He knew that they could be gone quite a while with no worries.

                Olivia was antsy, ready to leave. He supposed he couldn’t blame her; every day she got closer and closer to giving birth, and yet she wasn’t in a place she wanted to be. She knew she couldn’t rush it though, one wrong move and Nuka-World could go right into the shitter, or someone new could try to take over. It gave him an odd sense of pride to see her so wrapped up in the work, prepping the park for her absence.

                The night before they left, Mags and Nisha stopped by the apartment. It was odd for the two faction bosses to come together on their own, without necessity. Gage’s vision was still off, but whether from the stress of the night they killed Connor, or just all the work he and Olivia were putting in, he could now see most things fairly clearly. Small details were still lost on him, and his distance vision was shit, even with a scope, but it was a far cry better than it had been. He definitely wasn’t complaining any.

                Olivia greeted the two cordially, inviting them for a drink, which both women accepted. The rapport that Olivia had built with the Nuka-World bosses was one of mutual respect, but also a knowledge that without her, the park would fail. Gage knew it wasn’t usually like Raiders to accept something like this, but he also knew that both Mags and Nisha clearly remembered life under Colter, and even before that, and they weren’t eager to repeat it. Humility wasn’t typically in a Raider’s vocabulary, but the caps tended to make them overlook things.

                “We just wanted to stop by before you left, make sure you knew that we’ll have things run smoothly while you’re gone.” Mags said, her sultry voice serious. Olivia raised a brow at her, and then looked to Nisha, whose countenance was, as always, hidden behind that stupid mask.

                “We aren’t stupid enough to forget who brings the caps through here, Boss. And we certainly aren’t stupid enough to jeopardize that.” Nisha said, answering Olivia’s expression even though Gage was sure she couldn’t have seen it. Mags sipped at her drink, amber liquid sloshing in the glass.

                “And we wanted to give you this.” She said, reaching into a pocket on her black leather armor. She carefully pulled something out, the detail was lost on Gage, but it looked like a string of something.

                “Sorry, is this-?” Olivia began, taking the proffered item. Nisha nodded, and Gage could see the flash of teeth behind the spikes on her mask.

                “Leather from _The Harvester’s_ armor.” Mags answered, using Connor’s Raider title. She watched as Olivia examined the item.

                “And bones from his trigger finger.” Nisha finished lightly. He saw Olivia’s eyes widen slightly, but she regained her composure quickly.

                “That’s… macabre. But thoughtful. Thanks guys.” Olivia said, and she gingerly raised the string and tied it around her neck, much to Gage’s surprise.

                “You should always keep something from a powerful enemy you’ve killed; remember how strong you really are.” Nisha said, the poignancy of her words shocking him. He wasn’t used to such eloquence from any of the Disciples.

                They spoke for a while longer, going over small park businesses and joking amicably enough. It was almost enough to make Gage forget that everyone in the room was a ruthless killer. Almost.

                After a while they left, leaving Gage and Olivia alone once again. Olivia packed and repacked her bag, taking things out and replacing them just slightly differently. Gage could tell she was nervous about going back to Sanctuary after so long, but something else seemed to be bothering her, something he couldn’t figure out.

                “You alright Boss?” He asked after she pulled her first aid kit out for the third time. She turned her head towards him as though noticing him for the first time, then smiled.

                “Yeah, just trying to make sure I’m ready. Don’t know when we’re gonna be back here, y’know?” She said turning her attention from the bag to him. He reached out to her, pulling her into his lap on the couch by the lift. She leaned against him, resting one hand on her stomach.

                “We’ve left before, it’s no big deal. Things will be fine here.” He said calmly. He reached up to caress her neck, sheened with a light gloss of sweat from her work. He brushed his fingers lightly over the short hairs at the back.

                “This time is different though. This time… you know we won’t come back here together, right? At least not any time soon. One of us will always have to stay with the baby, at least until its old enough to be left alone.” She said, speaking quietly. He nodded against her shoulder, taking in her concerns.

                “Yeah, well you said things were gonna change, right?” He asked. She smiled.

                “That they are.” She said softly, almost to herself.

                “I’ll always be right behind you, boss.” He said, trying to ease her tension. She felt oddly strung in his lap. He attributed it to nerves.

                “You better be.” She said, and kissed him lightly.

 

 

 

                He should have fucking known.

                He should have known the night before they left that this would happen. He should have said something, brought it up, done something.

                And now Olivia was in labor in the middle of the goddamned Wasteland.

                It started a few hours after they left Nuka-World, though now as he thought about it, she probably had an idea it was coming, with her odd behavior the night before. She had either ignored it or thought she could make it to Sanctuary.

                The morning had started out normal enough. They had left Nuka-World around first light, heading north towards the settlement Olivia called home. Everything had been going fine; they hadn’t run into any trouble. Then suddenly Olivia started taking breaks. Fairly frequent breaks. She would stand there; hand on her back, breathing heavily. At first, he had just thought the kid was in an odd position. This often caused her discomfort and made walking and even sitting painful. But by the third time he was suspicious, though still wondering if maybe she was just tired.

                Now however, the fifth time they had stopped in an hour, he knew. The thought panicked him, but he didn’t want to scare Olivia. She was probably terrified enough as it was. They were still about two and a half hours from Sanctuary. It was mid-morning, the sun coming high in the sky. He scanned the area for threats before coming up beside Olivia. Time to address the situation.

                “Boss. How long you got?” He asked as nonchalantly as he could. She straightened up and looked at him as though she had no clue what he was talking about.

                “What? What do you mean? I’m fine, let’s go.” She said, starting to walk again. Gage reached out a hand and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

                “Olivia, you ain’t fooling me. I know the kid is coming. I’m asking you if you think you can make it to Sanctuary or if I gotta come up with something.” He asked seriously. Olivia stared at him for a moment before her face fell.

                “I-I don’t know. I mean I think I can. They’re still about ten minutes apart. That’s a long time. But it’s gonna move faster since I’ve already had a kid and we’re walking.” She said, trying very hard to keep her voice steady. Gage swallowed hard, scanning the horizon again.

                “Alright we better get walking then.” He said, trying to suppress the terror in his voice. This was not ideal. His distance vision was still crap, and now he was walking through the Wasteland with what basically amounted to a moving target. He pulled his rifle off his shoulder and held it ready, unable to rely on Olivia’s eyes to help him now.

                “Just focus on walking, on getting there.” He said, and though he said it out loud he thought he was speaking more to himself. Olivia nodded and they moved out again, this time at a bit of a quicker pace. Gage forced himself to keep his head on a swivel, wary for anything that moved, but found his eyes continually gluing themselves back to Olivia, back to her face.

                “I’m okay, really.” She said after another stop some time later. He didn’t believe her. Her cheeks were flushed, but the rest of her was pale, giving her a sickly look. She was shaking slightly, her hands trembling as she sipped water from a canister he handed her.

                “I don’t believe you. Does it hurt?” He asked stupidly. She raised a brow at him and forced a grin.

                “Like a bitch.” She said, and then turned and continued walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just 2 more chapters left! Look for them up in the next couple days, I don't wanna keep you all in suspense for too long!


	31. The Wonder of You

                By the time they crossed the bridge to Sanctuary Olivia could no longer talk through the pains. He held her arm as she doubled over, hissing through her teeth as she did so. He looked around frantically for anyone, and upon seeing the settler in the guard tower, waved his arm wildly. The guard saw him and jogged over, eyes going wide at the sight of Olivia.

                “Hey Mike, wanna see if Preston’s around for me?” Olivia asked weakly as the man came into hearing distance. He nodded, face pale and took off. Olivia stood up straighter, leaning on Gage now and started walking again.

                “We made it. I can’t believe we made it.” She huffed as they shuffled up the street towards the main drag. He was intent on getting her to the small clinic she had set up in one of the abandoned buildings near her shack. They were so close now.

                “Yeah tell me about it. You always gotta pick the worst times to-,” He started, but cut off when he saw Preston running their way, his laser musket slung over his shoulder. He looked quickly from Gage to Olivia as he skidded to a stop in front of them.

                “What do you need, General?” He asked, voice tight with concern. Olivia half smiled at him.

                “Think someone here can run over to Diamond city real quick and get Curie?” She asked, wiping sweat from her forehead. Preston furrowed his brow, but nodded.

                “Yeah I think so. It will take a couple hours though.” He said, walking beside them. The clinic was in sight now and Gage breathed a small sigh of relief.

                “That’s fine, I’ll manage. Just knowing she’s coming will help.” Olivia said, voice straining. Garvey ran off just as another contraction hit. She gripped Gage’s arm; hard.

                “Almost there, Boss.” He soothed. She nodded silently as she fought through the pain, finally letting a huge burst of air out through her nose.

                “Yeah, but not really.” She said and forced a smile at him.

 

 

 

 

                The clinic smelled strongly of antiseptic and leaf mould, as everything did in Sanctuary. He hated it, but could hardly spare a thought for it now. He had gotten Olivia here, settled her in, and now was sitting beside the bed, waiting.

                That was the worst part of all this, he thought. Olivia couldn’t tell him how much longer it would be. Her contractions were still five minutes apart, and had been for the past hour. She told him the same thing had happened with Shaun as well. She had been in labor with him for 18 hours. Though, she said, second babies tended to come faster than the first, that didn’t mean this was going to be a fast operation.

                The waiting gave him too much time to think, in between the pains when she would grab onto him and squeeze the fuck out of his hand. His mind raced, wondering what was about to happen, about all the things that could go wrong, about what he would do if they did. He thought about what would happen if Curie didn’t show up, if he was forced to help Olivia get this kid out, even though he had no fucking clue what he was doing. The thought made his heart race and palms sweat.

                He knew these thoughts weren’t helpful, so he tried to keep conversation light, keeping track of how long it was until Curie should be there, asking her mundane questions about her life before him, about her favorite things. It helped for a while to keep them occupied, to keep their minds off the situation.

                About an hour later the screaming started.

                Her contractions were close together now, coming every two to three minutes. And fuck they were strong, contorting her body as she fought to ride out the pain, breathing like a deathclaw in battle. She couldn’t hold it in anymore and cried out. The sound nearly broke his heart. This was something he’d never experienced before; Olivia in pain and no way to fix it. He hated it.

                One or two settlers dropped in to offer advice, tell Olivia about their own babies or babies they’d helped to birth. He tried to accept their advice as help, but after hearing Olivia’s pained cries for what seemed like hours he couldn’t be civil anymore and flipped. He swore at anyone who tried to come in then, probably only bolstering his reputation as a “bad guy” but right now he didn’t care.

                The contractions seemed to stop moving now, stuck at two minutes. He hated this whole thing. Olivia was getting tired, he could see it. After walking from Nuka-World in labor and now this he couldn’t blame her. Her head lolled after every pain subsided, and she breathed in ragged pants. It seemed that every time she caught her breath; another contraction would start, dragging her back into hell.

                Evening was coming now, the sun setting outside, casting an orange glow through the windows in the clinic. The only sounds Gage could hear were the sounds of Olivia’s breathing, and her screams when the contractions came. He gripped her hand tight with both of his as one subsided, feeling her muscles twitch and spasm in protest.

                “Olivia, I wanna tell you something. I-,” He started, but she cut him off with a sharp look.

                “Porter Gage. You _will not_ tell me you love me just because you think I’m going to die.” She said in breathless anger. He laughed, and cursed the tears that began to well up in his eyes. He was not gonna fucking cry right now.

                “Nah, boss I was just gonna see if you could hurry this along. I feel like I could use a nap.” He said, working his words around the tightness in his throat. Olivia smiled weakly at him, her eyes slightly out of focus as she fought to regain her strength before the next pain came.

                “I’m working on it. This is your fault y’know. I’m holding you responsible for-,” She was cut off by another contraction that contorted her face into a mask of agony. He gripped her hand, feeling utterly and completely helpless. He wondered if it had been this bad with her first child, but didn’t dare ask that now.

                Suddenly there was a commotion behind him, and he turned to see Curie, followed by Nick Valentine bursting through the door. Curie ignored him, her gaze solely on Olivia, assessing before she had even reached them. Nick stood in the archway, watching the small woman worriedly but quiet. Curie was murmuring soft things to Olivia, checking her pulse and pulling the blankets away from her to check the bulge of her stomach. Gage moved carefully away, watching nervously as the woman worked. Her hands pressed into Olivia’s abdomen, moving deftly before the next contraction came. When it did, she moved back and nodded to herself, before looking to Gage.

                “I am going to need hot water and any clean cloths you can find.” She said in her strange accent. Gage shook his head adamantly.

                “No. I ain’t leaving her.” He said, stepping towards the bed. Curie looked at him sympathetically, eyes peering out from a messy dark mop of hair.

                “The child is slightly sideways, that is why the labor is continuing so long. I am going to try to turn the baby from the outside. It will be painful and ‘ard to watch. I suggest you go with Monsieur Nick to get the supplies. When you return everything will be alright.” She said, matter-of-factly. Gage’s mouth went dry at the mention of the kid being sideways. He stared from Curie to Olivia, unmoving until Nick came to his side and gently guided him out of the room. 

                “C’mon, Gage. Let’s go get this stuff. Give you a quick break.” The synth said quietly as they exited the clinic. Gage nodded absently as Nick brought him to a bench outside Olivia’s workshop. He sat down hard, staring at the ground. Nick spoke with a couple settlers about getting the requested items, and then came back to sit next to him, lighting a cigarette. He offered the box to Gage, who took one on a whim. Gage lit it for him and he watched the smoke rise up in the rapidly fading light. He took a drag, almost coughing as the smoke filled his lungs. He hadn’t done this in so long, but the rush from the drugs quickly flooded his veins, relaxing him slightly.

                “She’ll be alright, Gage.” Nick said finally from beside him. Gage let the cigarette burn between two fingers as he thought, before nodding slowly.

                “Yeah, I hope so.” He said gruffly, taking another drag. His head shot up as he heard Olivia’s harsh scream from the clinic, and he poised himself to stand, but Nick’s skeletal hand stopped him.

                “She’s in good hands. Curie will have her right as rain in no time, believe me. Just take a minute here. Let the good doctor work.” He said, trying and failing to sooth Gage. The cigarette helped a little, but he was still strung as tight as piano wire.

                “You really do care about her, don’t you?” Came a voice from his left. He looked to see Garvey standing on the concrete of the road a little ways away. Gage fought down an overwhelming urge to deck the man, as well as his first response of “No shit you fucking prick.”

                “Yeah. I do.” He settled with, taking a last drag of the cigarette before stomping it out on the ground. The minuteman approached slowly, taking him in.

                “I’m sorry. About everything. I just- You’re just-,” Preston stumbled, and Gage caught himself laughing a bit at it. The whole situation seemed absurd.

                “A Raider. I know. Don’t mean I ain’t got feelings and shit.” He said through the grin. Preston shifted uncomfortably.

                “Yeah, I know, but we aren’t used to-,” He started. Gage stood, causing Garvey to step back comically. Gage held his hands outstretched.

                “Look, Preston. I know who I am. I know you people don’t like that. But that’s the way it is, I guess. I know you mean well right now, but I got at least ten other more pressing things on my damn mind right now. So if you’re saying you’re sorry, then alright, apology accepted. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. But if you don’t mind, I should probably be getting back in there.” He said; face as passive as he could make it. The minuteman looked him over for a moment, nodded and stepped forward, hand outstretched.

                “Consider it done, then.” He said, and Gage took the man’s hand and shook it.

                “Alright, Gage, I think you’ve got a kid to meet.” Nick said from behind him. Gage nodded, straightened his shirt a bit, and took off in the direction of the clinic. His heart was pounding in his chest. Olivia hadn’t let out a scream quite like the one he heard a few minutes ago since then, and he took that as a good sign.

                When he came back into the room, he found Curie had already been hard at work. Someone had brought her the supplies she needed, and she had Olivia pulled down towards the edge of the bed, legs propped up with a blanket draped over her for modesty. Olivia was breathing hard, but her face was set, not with pain, but with determination.

                “Ahh, there you are. It will not be long now. She is about to start pushing.” Curie said to him as he took his place by Olivia’s side. He grasped her hand, gripping it tight as Curie pushed up the blankets around her legs. Gage sat, wondering vaguely if he might pass out. He fought against it, knowing Olivia would never let him live it down if he did.

                “Alright, ready Olivia?” Curie asked, and Olivia made a noise of assent.

                The next few minutes passed in a blur of yells, pain, and sweat. Curie coached Olivia along, telling her when to push and when to stop. Olivia did amazingly, controlling her breathing and pushing with all her strength. Gage tried very hard to keep her focused, to tell her how well she was doing.

                And then suddenly he heard it.

                The small cries that came up over all the other noises around them. The sound that seemed to drown out everything else in the world. The cries of his kid.

                There was a flurry of activity and he was ushered away from Olivia. He started to protest, confused as to why, when Curie placed a wrapped bundle in his arms. She pulled the cloth back, revealing a mess of wispy dark hair, and a screeching face, red and contorted but the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

                “It’s a boy.” Curie said, before turning back to Olivia.

                “It’s a boy.”

                 Gage had a son.

                He did cry then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note here; In my mind, Olivia would not have been able to reconcile the idea of synth Shaun with the Shaun she lost. She was in a bad place after the Institute was destroyed, killing Father, so I don't think she would have kept him around. She did get him out, but then she turned him over to the Railroad to give him new memories and a new life somewhere. This is a character flaw and a decision she questions every day, but in her mind she would never have been able to see her son in him. That's the explanation I have for why he's not around in Sanctuary! Thanks everyone, one chapter left!!


	32. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is! The last chapter in Olivia and Gage's story. I hope you all enjoy it!

                Gage stood, leaning on the low fence, elbows propping him up as he gazed over the field. It was summer, and the days were long, casting shadows into the evening, past when they should be gone. Sanctuary was quiet, most of the settlers winding down from the days chores. He had spent most of the day on guard duty, running the perimeter of the settlement. It was boring work, but it kept him busy.

                His eyes locked on the group of children playing a few yards from him. They were tussling, falling over each other before sprinting away, only to then come back together in messy heaps. He smiled as he caught a glimpse of dark curls in the fray. He was three now, smallish for his age, but he had his mother’s attitude, and he held his own amongst the older children. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the boy plant his feet, arms crossed over his chest in frustration, a motion that called Olivia to his mind instantaneously.

                Gage let out a high whistle and watched as the little head snapped towards him, curls bouncing. It was getting late, whether the sun showed it or not, and he figured he better take the kid out of there before he got himself in trouble. He watched as the boy ran, legs still ungainly, towards him.

                “Daddy! I’m playin’, can I stay a little more?” He said as he got close, voice breathless. Gage could hear the sleep he fought off though. He was stubborn. Definitely Olivia’s kid.

                “You can come back out tomorrow, bud. Now it’s time to clean up, get ready for bed, alright?” He said, voice losing its usual gruff tone like it did when he spoke to him. He reached down and lifted the boy over the fence, holding him close, catching the scent of grass and dirt on him.

                “I dun wanna go to bed!” He said, trying to squirm out of Gage’s arms. Gage held fast, walking towards the cul-de-sac to take him home. The few lights were beginning to pop on, casting an electric glow on the houses.

                “Yeah, well sometimes we gotta do sh- stuff we don’t want to.” He replied, catching the swear before it left his mouth. That had been one thing that was difficult to get used to. The boy made a disappointed noise in his arms, but stopped moving. He looked at him, his smooth cheeks round and ruddy from play. He looked so much like Olivia that it made his heart hurt. Everything except his eyes. When the boy looked at him, it was all him in those eyes. The only indication Gage had helped create him at all.

                He walked slowly, enjoying the weight of his son in his arms. A few settlers greeted him as they moved, saying hello to the boy as well. His son wasn’t old enough to notice the hesitancy in some of their voices as they spoke to him. He hoped he never would have to notice.

                They were coming around the curve of the road when the boy started squirming, wiggling with a strength belying his size. Gage gripped him tight, trying not to drop him before leaning down to place him on the ground.

                “Hey, what are you-,” He started, but his chubby legs were moving before he even hit the pavement, taking off in the direction of the bridge to the settlement.   

                “Momma! Momma!” He screeched, curls bouncing as he ran. Gage followed his line of movement and saw her coming over the bridge, bag slung over one shoulder. She swung her shotgun around to her back as the boy crashed into her. She lifted him in the air, face breaking into a dazzling smile. Gage picked up the pace to meet her, his heart racing at the sight of her.

                “I missed you!” She was saying to the wriggling child in her arms. She was giggling as he babbled about this and that. Gage finally caught up to them and felt his own face break into a grin.

                “How are my boys?” She said, catching his eye. He shrugged, crossing his arms as he watched them. His chest felt tight with emotion; it always did when she returned from a Nuka-World trip.

                “We played Raiders and Minutemen, momma! I’m a Raider!” The boy said, letting out a menacing growl as he did. Olivia’s eyes widened comically and shifted to Gage’s. Gage shrugged. He hadn’t told his son anything about Raiders. Yet.

                “No you’re not a Raider! You’re my sweet boy! My sweet boy who should be in bed.” She admonished, dropping the toddler to the ground and gripping his hand. They began walking towards the houses again, the air of the evening beginning to sound with frogs and insects. The boy’s small hand slipped into his, and he grasped it tightly. They walked slowly, keeping pace with the uneven steps of the small child between them.

                “Everything alright with our friends?” Gage asked, using the code for the Nuka-World Raiders that they used in front of the kid. Olivia glanced sidelong at him, but smiled.

                “Yeah. But it’s your turn to go keep them in line next.” She said before turning her attention back to their son. She was as strikingly beautiful as the day he watched her stomp up to him in the control booth at Nuka-World. She was incredible, a force he never thought he would have a snowball’s chance in hell to match. He watched her as she gazed down at their perfect boy, trying to capture the moment in time.

                He was happy.

                He was home.                

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously teared up a bit writing this! I didn't name Olivia and Gage's son, just because I never know what I should name non-canon children in fics, and I don't wanna take anyone out of the immersion of the story by picking a name that doesn't vibe. So his name can be up to you! I am really thankful for all of you, reading and commenting and generally sticking around through not only this fic but also "If I Didn't Care" before this. These have been my most ambitious works to date and I am almost sad that it's over! If you wanna check out what else I'm up to, I'm on tumblr a lot at Sydneymariethezombiequeen.tumblr.com. Please feel free to let me know how you liked this fic, whether good or bad! Thanks again everyone!!


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